HC Deb 16 July 1930 vol 241 cc1267-8
29. Mr. HORRABIN

asked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, now that Tshekedi Khama, acting under instructions from his fellow chiefs, has given notice terminating the mining concession granted to the British South Africa Company, and that no other concession now exists for mining purposes, he proposes to postpone the issuing of mining regulations for Bechuanaland?

The SECRETARY of STATE for DOMINION AFFAIRS (Mr. J. H. Thomas)

I have been asked to take this question. As the reply is a somewhat long one, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 19th February by the Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs to similar questions. The preparation of a Proclamation to regulate mining in the Bechuanaland Protectorate has for some time past been receiving consideration, and at the present time the draft of such a Proclamation is under examination by my technical advisers. As regards the reference in the question to the concession granted by Khama to the British South Africa Company in the Bamangwato Reserve, I may state that the draft Proclamation relates to the whole of the Protectorate (not to a particular area of it), and is in a form which would enable it to be applied separately to Native Reserves and to Crown Lands as circumstances may require. The Proclamation, when issued, would not, of course, authorise mining in a reserve, but only regulate the conditions of such mining where mining is already authorised or may be authorised in future.