§ MR. LABOUCHERE (Northampton)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the East Africa Syndicate has exercised any of the rights or options secured to it on the concessions which appear as granted to it in the White Paper, 2nd April, of 1903; whether this syndicate has been granted subsequently any further concessions in Uganda and East Africa either in regard to minerals or land; and, if so, what is their scope, and what consideration has been received for them; and whether any company or syndicate has been granted, since the above White Paper was laid upon the Table of the House, any land, or property, or mining concessions; and, if so, what is their nature, and what are the names of the concessionaires.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (EARL PERCY, Kensington, S.)The only agreements actually concluded with the East Africa Syndicate are for leases of land, particulars of which will be found in the Papers shortly to be laid before Parliament. These Returns will, it is hoped, also give all the desired information in regard to concessions generally both in East Africa and Uganda.
MR. GIBSON BOWLES (Lynn Regis)Will these agreements be subject to ratification by Parliament or are they final?
§ EARL PERCYThey do not require ratification by Parliament.
§ EARL PERCYYes.