asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the actual wage-rates paid to task workers in the Jamaica sugar industry, as was determined by the agreement of March, 1941, have been in any way affected by the fixing of a lower minimum wage for workers on time rates; and whether he will consider increasing the time rates minimum wage to the higher level agreed upon by the Jamaica sugar industry and the workers in March, 1941?

Task workers who were included in the Agreement of March, 1941, and whose pay is in excess of the minimum rates recently fixed by proclamation, are not affected by that proclamation. As regards the last part of the Question, I must await the result of the inquiry which, as I informed the hon. Member on 17th February, was being addressed to the Governor.