§ 33. Mr. SCURRasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Kenya Government is contemplating or has effected the removal of native inhabitants from the Loldaika hills, in the vicinity of the European settlement of West Kenya, towards which railway extension is projected; whether he is in a position to assure the House that any such step, whether contemplated or effected, would conform to the requirement., laid down in the White Paper of last July, that where the interests of the natives and of immigrants conflict, the former shall prevail; and whether a Report from the Government of Kenya upon this proposal or this action, as the case may be, may be called for and laid upon the Table of the House?
§ Mr. LUNNThe Secretary of State has no information on the subject, and he cannot, therefore, express any view on the point raised in the second part of the question. As regards the third part of my hon. Friend's question, my right hon. Friend is communicating with the Governor, and subsequent steps will be considered on the receipt of his reply.
58 and 59. Mr. EDMUND HARVEYasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he will take steps to ensure that, pending the Report of the commission shortly to be appointed, there shall be no further alienation of native lands in Kenya Colony, and no transfer of native populations in order to provide concessions of land to settlers;
(2) whether he is aware that proposals have been under consideration by the Government of Kenya Colony for the grant of a large tract of land of over 100,000 acres to a prominent settler in exchange for land previously granted to him; that these proposals would involve the displacement of a numerous native population; and whether he will take steps to prevent any such grants until the Commission has visited the Colony?
§ Mr. LUNNThe proposal referred to by the hon. Member, which concerns 63,000 and not 100,000 acres, has not yet been approved, pending the receipt of further information from the Governor. From the information available, it is clear that any native population in the area must be very small and of recent date, and it is 874 not necessary to assume that any of the natives would actually be displaced. My right hon. Friend has not yet decided the terms of reference he has in view for the proposed Commission, but it would hardly be possible to justify the cessation of all alienation, if advisable on other grounds, of land outside the reserves simply on account of the presence of a few isolated natives. As regards alienations of land in native reserves in Kenya, I can assure the hon. Member that there is no possible chance of any alienation of these lands or transfer of their native populations in others to provide concessions of land for settlers.
§ Mr. J. HARRISIs it not true that this huge alienation is another alienation of land to an individual who already holds large areas in Kenya Colony?
Mr. HARVEYIs it not undesirable in any case that such an enormous area as 60,000 acres of laud should be given to one individual?
§ Mr. T. JOHNSTONWhat has Lord Delamere done that he should get this grant of public land?
§ Mr. LUNNI think that if the hon. Members will look at the last part of my answer, they will see that my right hon. Friend assures the House that there is no possible chance of any alienation to a particular individual.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYMay I ask the Prime Minister whether the answer given to this question does not reveal an extraordinary policy for the Labour Government to adopt?