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that these two meetings will decide on the work programme for the next year and make arrangements for its execution by the Research Council. 2. Relations with South Pacific Administrations With the movement towards regional co-operation in the South Pacific that is fostered by the South Pacific Commission there is a growing awareness of the similarity of the problems which face the Administrations in the area and a willingness to pool their information so that these problems may be tackled without duplication of money and research. Air travel has reduced the great distances and is bringing the whole area into closer association. Apart from the activities of the South Pacific Commission which are dealt with in another section of this report, correspondence is frequently exchanged between the New Zealand Government and the Government of Fiji, the Western Pacific High Commission, the Kingdom of Tonga, and the British Consuls in Tahiti and New Caledonia on matters of trade and commerce, civil aviation, strategic and defence issues, immigration, health, and finance. New Zealand is a partner with the United Kingdom and the Government of Fiji in the South Pacific Health Service, which is concerned with the training of Native medical practitioners and nurses and the administration of public health in the islands. Negotiations have been proceeding for some time with the Government of French Oceania for the settlement of the advances made during the war to the French authorities in the South Pacific. The outbreak of poliomyelitis in New Zealand gave rise to the imposition of quarantine restrictions in many South Pacific islands, and the ensuing difficulties of travel to and from New Zealand and the South Pacific area have been the subject of several communications with the authorities concerned. Requests for technical advice and the secondment of trained personnel are received from British Administrations in the South Pacific and every endeavour is made to assist these Administrations. Our relations with the officials of these Administrations continue to be most cordial. The New Zealand Government is a partner with the Australian and the United Kingdom Governments in the British Phosphate Commission, which is concerned with the working and supply of phosphates from Nauru and Ocean Islands on a non-profit-making basis. The activities of the British Phosphate Commission have largely contributed to the rehabilitation of the islanders after the devastation and depopulation caused by Japanese occupation of Nauru and Ocean Islands during the recent war.