§ 20. Mr. Ammonasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has now received any report from the Government of Southern Rhodesia concerning the arrests of native women in Salisbury on the ground that they have come to the township to do shopping without the 206 permit required under the Native Registration Act?
Mr. M. MacDonaldYes, Sir. The Government of Southern Rhodesia have informed my Noble Friend that no arrests have been made of native women going to Salisbury to do their shopping, and that there has been a steady decline since 1934 in the number of women prosecuted under the Natives Registration legislation.
Mr. MacDonaldThey have been informed of the requirements of the Act which necessitates passes in these cases.
§ Mr. RileyWill the right hon. Gentleman use his influence to induce the Government of Southern Rhodesia to remove the limitations of reasonable liberty on these people?
Mr. MacDonaldI am aware that the Government of Southern Rhodesia are administering this legislation as sympathetically as possible.
§ Mr. PalingIs it not a sad commentary on our ideas of government that native women have to obtain passes to move about freely in the towns of their own country?
21. Mr. Creech Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs what steps the Government of Southern Rhodesia are contemplating to secure compensation to the interests of native businesses in Salisbury which may suffer injury under the new scheme for the expropriation of such businesses and their establishment in a location outside the city?
Mr. MacDonaldSection 32 of the Southern Rhodesia Land Apportionment Act, 1930, provides that the Governor-in-Council may, on the setting aside of any area by a local authority for native occupation, expropriate existing native rights outside that area, and that the amount of compensation, if not mutually agreed, must be fixed by arbitration. The Southern Rhodesia Government consider that this provision amply safeguards the interests of native businesses at present established in Salisbury.
Mr. Creech JonesIn view of the discrimination and the injustice which are 207 done to large numbers of native people by moving them from their own property into native locations, will the right hon. Gentleman make representations that adequate compensation for goodwill in respect of their businesses and their land should be given?
Mr. MacDonaldThe provision of the Act allows compensation to be paid, and no doubt every relevant consideration is taken into account. I would point out that these provisions were drawn up at the time when there was a Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs belonging to the hon. Member's party in office.