HC Deb 13 February 1946 vol 419 cc374-6
16. Mr. Turton

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what arrangements have been made, or are projected, for administrative and constitutional reform in Sierra Leone.

Mr. George Hall

Considerable changes have recently been introduced in the Protectorate. As the answer is somewhat lengthy, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the statement:

In the November meeting of the Sierra Leone Legislative Council two Bills were introduced dealing with constitutional and administrative reforms in the Protectorate. The Bills were generally welcomed by the Council and criticism was confined to minor points of detail.

The new legislation will establish 12 district councils representative of the Chief-doms of each district. It is intended that two members should be selected for each chiefdom on the Council, one of whom would normally be a chief while the second member would be appointed by a full meeting of the Tribal Authority. The second member would not necessarily be a member of the Tribal Authority so that an opportunity will be provided for younger men to offer themselves for selection. The district council will normally be presided over by the District Commissioner and departmental officers will be invited to attend meetings when their advice is desired.

The new legislation also provides for the establishment of a Protectorate Assembly which will sit under the presidency of a Chief Commissioner. The Assembly will comprise 10 official members and 30 unofficial. The unofficial members will consist of two. representatives elected by each of the district councils from their own number, making a total of 24 district council representatives. The balance of six unofficial members is made up of four African members, nominated by the Governor and representing interests not covered by the district councils, and two other members nominated by the Governor to represent commercial and missionary interests respectively. The duties of both the Protectorate Assembly and the district councils will be advisory. While many of the members in both the Assembly and the councils will be persons holding posts of executive responsibility in the native administrations, the importance of allocating administrative duties to these new bodies will be borne in mind. It will be necessary to decide on the further steps that can be taken in this direction in the light of experience gained from the actual working of the new organisations.

At the same time as the Protectorate Assembly and district councils have been established, various changes have been introduced into the administration. The Protectorate has been divided into three provinces which will replace the former organisation of four divisions. The office of Secretary for Protectorate Affairs has been abolished and the post of Chief Commissioner instituted in its place. The Chief Commissioner, unlike the Secretary for Protectorate Affairs, will reside in the Protectorate, at Bo in the first instance. Senior departmental officers will also be available in the Protectorate to advise the Chief Commissioner at his new head- quarters. These changes, and the various adjustments of detail which they involve, will result in the increase of the administrative establishment by one additional officer.