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As in the past, the Stores Indents Branch has arranged the ordering and shipping to New Zealand during the year of large quantities of goods ranging from electric locomotives and rolling-stock for the Railways Department to books and pamphlets for the National Library Service. The Branch was called upon to render special services in connection with the proposed Royal Tour of New Zealand. The New Zealand Joint Service Liaison Staff have. continued their primary function of maintaining close contact with the United Kingdom Government and exchanging information on matters relating to defence with the United Kingdom Services' and with Missions of other Commonwealth countries in London. In addition, members of the staff have from time to time attended various courses of instruction and conferences in which New Zealand has been invited to participate. Among the many activities with which the individual Service Headquarters have been occupied during the year have been the recruitment of personnel for all three Services in New Zealand and the refitting and commissioning of the six Lochclass frigates purchased by the Government from the Admiralty for the Royal New Zealand Navy. Four of these vessels have now arrived on the New Zealand station. Three Royal New Zealand Air Force crews were sent from New Zealand to take part in the Berlin Airlift and have been continuously on duty. New Zealand's immigration scheme has proceeded apace during the year under review and up to the present a total of 3,369 emigrants have embarked for New Zealand. An 'extension of the scheme in May, 1948, to cover additional categories of industry in New Zealand, and the introduction of a nomination scheme, resulted in a considerable expansion of the Branch's activities. In addition, New Zealand has offered to accept approximately 1,000 displaced persons from Europe, and the Branch is collaborating with the International Refugee Organization in the selection and embarkation of these persons. With the Overseas League the Immigration Branch has also been engaged in the administration of a child migration scheme and it was anticipated that the first party of 18 children would leave the United Kingdom for New Zealand in April. Liaison with the Commonwealth Scientific Offices in attendance at several international Commonwealth scientific congresses and meetings, and attention to special inquiries in the field of science from New Zealand have claimed the major part of the time of the Scientific Adviser to the High Commissioner. He has also been closely associated with the Joint Service Liaison Staff on matters relating to defence science. While the scope of this report does not permit of a detailed study of all the activities carried out by