§ 26. Mr. SAKLATVALAasked the Secretary to the Overseas Trade Department whether he has received any protests from the African Students' Union in London concerning the erection of an alleged African village at the North-East Coast Exhibition of Industry to be held in Newcastle, which, in their opinion, is calculated to bring the Negro population into contempt and/or ridicule; and will he take the necessary steps to see that no feature of the exhibition is such as to give legitimate cause for this complaint?
§ Mr. HACKINGMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies has received protests in connection with the proposal to erect an African village at the North-East Coast Exhibition, which it is intended to people with natives from Northern Africa, who are now on their way to England. I am informed that the natives will live in huts specially built for them on similar lines to those constructed at Wembley, and will carry on native handicrafts. From the information I have received, there would seem to be nothing in the proposed arrangements which should bring the natives into contempt or ridicule.
§ Mr. SAKLATVALADoes the hon. Member maintain that making an exhibition of this kind will help British industries in any way? Does he not realise that, though it may not be repugnant to the exhibition authorities here, or to the British visitors, it is very repugnant 2186 to the educated section of Africans, and does he not further realise that we are only making an exhibition of the wretched way in which citizens are reared up and kept in the British Empire?
§ Mr. HACKING rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERMr. March.