§ MR. CYTHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will state the names of the persons to whom a grant of 500 square miles of land has recently been assigned in East Africa; what consideration the Government has received on account thereof; if Government officials in East 561 Africa have made any report on the ad-visibility of such grants; and, if so, will he lay them upon the Table of the House; will he state also what consideration has been given to native rights, and if suitable reserves will be secured out of this grant for the natives; and if any other similar offers or grants of land are now proposed to be made to syndicates.
§ * THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Earl PERCY,) Kensington, S.A lease of 500 square miles of land, on terms approved by His Majesty's Treasury, is now being arranged with the East Africa Syndicate. The selection of the area was made last year by the local representative of the syndicate in consultation with His Majesty's Commissioner. The lease will be subject to the provisions of the East Africa Crown Lands Ordinance, 1902, which is in the library of the House, and under which the rights of natives are fully reserved. Negotiations are also in progress for the lease of certain forest lands in the vicinity of the coast to firms interested in the production and working of timber and rubber.
§ MR. WHITLEY (Halifax)Do these grants of land carry with them rights of government by the syndicate?
§ * EARL PERCYwas understood to reply in the negative.