§ MR. ESSEX (Gloucestershire, Cirencester)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he can now inform this House of the terms and conditions of concessions and reservations made at the Victoria Falls (Zambesi) by the British South Africa Company.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (Mr. CHURCHILL,) Manchester, N. W.The British South Africa Company have, by indenture dated the 14th December, 1906, in pursuance of an agreement of even date, granted and devised to the African Concessions Syndicate, Limited, the exclusive lease of the entire water power of the river Zambesi at the place known as the Victoria Falls, for a period of seventy-five years from the 31st December, 1906, with power to enter upon and use an area of land which is described as having a five-mile radius from Livingstone Islands—always excepting the Rain Forest and the public parks on both banks of the river. No works, however, are to be constructed in this area other than a weir and a canal. The agreement fully defines the purpose of the lease to the syndicate, and attaches certain conditions to the use of the Zambesi for the purpose of developing and transmitting electrical power. One of these conditions is that the syndicate shall undertake that none of the works to be carried out under the agreement shall destroy, disfigure, or interfere with 785 the natural beauty and characteristics of the Victoria Falls and their surroundings. The other provisions of the agreements are too long to be compressed within the limits of an Answer in this House.
§ SIR GILBERT PARKER (Gravesend)Does the agreement reserve any revisionary powers to the British South African administration, safeguarding the public interest and preventing the creation of a monopoly?
§ MR. CHURCHILLI must ask for notice of that Question.
§ MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)In view of the danger to the picturesque ness of the falls, will care be taken that too much water is not taken from the Zambesi from above the falls during the dry season?