HC Deb 05 April 1922 vol 152 cc2232-3
53. Colonel WEDGWOOD

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, seeing that Earl Buxton's Committee recommended that the claim of the Chartered Company to the commercial ownership of the lands of Northern Rhodesia should be referred for adjudication to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, His Majesty's Government accepted this recommendation; and if he can now say when he hopes to present a case to the Judicial Committee for consideration?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the COLONIES (Mr. Edward Wood)

His Majesty's Government have stated that they have accepted the Report of Lord Buxton's Committee on Northern Rhodesia, but as regards the arrangements for the proposed reference to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, I cannot yet add anything to the reply given to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Newcastle East (Major Harnett) on the 21st February.

Colonel WEDGWOOD

May we assume that no arrangement will be come to directly between the Colonial Office and the Chartered Company which will prevent this reference to the Privy Council?

Mr. WOOD

I cannot state that positively, but I think it is most unlikely.