asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the total extent to which the dispute in the coal industry has held up the work of development in the Crown Colonies, Protectorates, and Mandated Territories in so far as contracts are concerned which were placed before the beginning of the dispute?

A definite estimate is not possible, but in many cases deliveries under contracts involving the use of steel placed before the dispute will be delayed from six to eight months. Materials are usually ordered in advance of requirements, and it is not possible to state to what extent this delay has affected the work of development. In certain instances it has been possible to complete urgent contracts by using Continental steel.