1. Yes.

2. The agricultural prices support board has been authorized to guarantee a return of $2 per packed box (to a maximum of 200,000 boxes) for the varieties Newtown, Stayman and Rome Beauty of sizes 180, 198, 216 and 234, and for the variety Winesap of sizes 216, 234 and 252. This is in conformity with the recommendation of B.C. Tree Fruits Limited.

3. See answer to No. 2.

1. Has the Minister or the Department of Agriculture received any representation from the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association for the extension of the provisions of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act to assist in enlargement of irrigation facilities within the tree fruit area of British Columbia?

Questions

2. H so, is any action being taken to meet this request over and above the separate projects in the course of development as at January 21, 1949?

3. If no action is being taken as requested, why not?

1. Copies of records of annual conventions of the British Columbia Fruit Growers' Association have been received containing resolutions recommending construction of the Westbank project and the Cawston Benches project.

2. The resolutions, as stated above, referred to specific projects. The Westbank project is under construction; the Cawston Benches project has been surveyed and allocation of the necessary water from the Similkameen river is under review by the international joint commission.

3. See answers to No. 1 and No. 2.

1. Will the Canadian navy be represented at the joint manoeuvres of the Atlantic and West Indies squadrons of the Royal Navy off Trinidad this month?

2. If so, by what type of ships and submarines?

1. Yes.

2. One light fleet carrier, one cruiser, three destroyers, one frigate. There are no submarines in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Mr. Church:

Was Canada represented when the United States Atlantic fleet began six weeks of manoeuvres on February 14, last, in the Caribbean sea, testing submarines?

Mr. Baker:

The Royal Canadian Navy is being represented at these manoeuvres by an observer, Lieut. Commander (P) T. C. Brock.

1. What ships and submarines has the Canadian navy in the Pacific?

2. Are any manoeuvres contemplated there this year, and will any submarines of the Canadian navy take part?

1. Cruisers, 2; destroyers, 6; frigates, 3; Algerines, 4; auxiliary vessels, 2; submarines, nil.

2. Normal training manoeuvres are contemplated during 1949 on the Pacific coast. There are no submarines in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Questions

Mr. Black (Yukon):

When is the federal building at Whitehorse, Yukon, for which plans and specifications were made several years ago, to be built?

Mr. Fournier (Hull):

The answer to this question remains the same as that given to a similar question asked last year, and is as follows:

Sketch plans and estimates only were prepared in 1946 for use in determining the magnitude of the project. The whole question of when projects such as this one shall be proceeded with is one that depends largely on the supply of labour and materials, which, at present, are being directed primarily to veterans housing, and, secondly, to the expansion of industry.

The priority that is given to the construction of new public buildings is very low. The present policy is to restrict new construction to an absolute minimum and to proceed only with maintenance and repairs of existing structures. At a later date, when the aforementioned demands have been satisfied, attention will be given to the construction of new public buildings.

This is the policy that is being followed with relation to new buildings throughout the country. As the building at Whitehorse is a new project, it is felt that it should remain in the deferred class as there is no greater urgency for this particular structure than for others of a similar nature throughout the country.