§ 62. Mr. THURTLEasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the memorial presented to the Governor of Kenya by a deputation representing the Indian and Arab communities in that Colony, on the subject of the proposed sale by public auction of 21 residential plots in Mombasa, for which neither Indians nor Arabs will be allowed to bid and on which members of neither community will be allowed to live; whether his attention has been drawn to the statement made by the Governor, in his answer to the deputation, that the decision to restrict the sale was made by the Secretary of State on legal grounds; and whether, in view of the importance of the matter, he will give the House further information?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for COLONIAL AFFAIRS (Mr. Ormsby-Gore)I have no information as to the memorial or the Governor's reply. The position was explained in the answer to the question Q f the right hon. and gallant Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme (Colonel Wedgwood) on the 10th June. The question of publishing locally the correspondence on the subject is now under my consideration: if it is published, a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs it the fact that this proposal for segregation in Mombasa originated with the Secretary of State?
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GOREIt arises out of the existing law. The legal point was taken by the legal adviser, and it was carried out by the Governor.
§ Colonel WEDGWOODIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this is the first case in which this segregation has been proposed in Mombasa in the sale of Government land?
§ Sir H. CROFTIs my hon. Friend aware that in Mombasa the neighbouring Indians and natives of the soil much prefer to live together, and that the general mass of the population would naturally approve of this policy?