§ 40. Mr. Mathersasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in connection with measures against soil erosion in Kenya, how many acres of land in the Ukamba reserve and how many in the Kamasia reserve are regarded as badly eroded and in need of reconditioning; what is the total area which has been reconditioned during each of the last five years; and whether the co-operation of the native population has been obtained for this work?
Lieut.-Colonel Sir A. Lambert Ward (Treasurer of the Household)I have been asked to reply to questions addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
The actual figures for which the hon. Member asks are not available in this country. My right hon. Friend can assure him, however, that in the native areas in question a considerable amount of both reconditioning and protective work has been and is being done, such as re-afforestation, contour planting of Napier grass, stagger trenching of eroded lands, and construction of dams for water conservation. Other measures provide for the limitation of the grazing of goats and the demarcation and draining of stock routes. In Kamasia it is estimated that 14,000 acres have now been dealt with successfully, and that the work is proceeding at the rate of some 2,000 acres per annum.