Rioting

HC Deb 10 March 1948 vol 448 cc1216-9

22. Mr. Donner

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to further rioting in the Gold Coast; whether he has now received a report from the Governor; and whether he will make a full statement with particular reference to the political implications involved.

25. Mr. Sorensen

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he has any further statement to make respecting disturbances in Accra; the total number of killed and injured; the extent of the damage done to property; how long the inquiry will proceed before issuing its report; if he has further particulars respecting the grievances about which the deputation intended to see the Governor; and what steps are being taken to deal with these grievances.

30. Mr. Thomas Brown

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the chiefs or other native authorities of the Gold Coast have expressed their opinion regarding the recent disturbances in the territory; and whether they are actively assisting in the restoration of law and order.

34. Mr. A. Edward Davies

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will now make a further statement about the disturbances in the Gold Coast; and when he expects his inquiries will be completed and available to the House.

43. Mr. Driberg

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he can now make a further statement on the Gold Coast disturbances and on their causes; and how many lives have been lost.

Mr. Rees-Williams

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and with the permission of the hon. Members who have asked these Questions on the disturbances in the Gold Coast, I will make a statement at the end of Questions.

At the end of Questions:

Mr. Rees-Williams

I made a statement on the subject of the disturbances in the Gold Coast on 1st March, and I will now give additional information which has been received since that date.

Since the night of Tuesday, 2nd March, there have been no serious disturbances in the Gold Coast, and prompt anticipatory measures by the police, supported by the military forces on the spot, have succeeded in preventing any further outbreaks and in restoring a satisfactory measure of law and order. I am very glad to say that the attitude of the Chiefs and native authorities in the Gold Coast has throughout been most helpful. They have publicly expressed their disapproval of the rioting and have exercised their authority to urge restraint on their people and co-operation with the Government in the measures which it has taken to restore order. The senior unofficial member of the Legislative Council, on behalf of his colleagues on that body and several native authorities have telegraphed to me pledging their support to the Gold Coast Government.

The total casualites were reported on 8th March to be as follow:

Africans
Dead	…	…	…	26
Injured	…	…	…	227
Non-Africans
Injured	…	…	…	15

It is possible that these totals may include casualties which are not attributable directly or indirectly to the riots. A high proportion of the injuries sustained by Africans were not, I am informed, due to military or police action, but were inflicted by other Africans in the course of looting.

Estimates of damage to property can at present only be very tentative. The first estimate of the value of merchandise looted from the main import firms in all areas affected is about one million pounds sterling. The value of merchandise lost by retailers is put at not more than an additional million pounds sterling. These figures take no account of the damage to buildings.

The Governor has asked for the appointment of a Commission of Inquiry from outside the Gold Coast and this will be done at the earliest possible moment. I will announce its composition as soon as I am in a position to do so. The terms of reference will be sufficiently wide to enable the Commission to inquire not only into the actual circumstances of the disturbances themselves, but also into their underlying causes. I cannot say how long the Commission will take to complete its work, and until it has reported I do not propose to make any statement on the causes of the disturbances or their political implications.

As regards the grievances of the ex-Service Men's Union, the Governor has informed me that he at no time received any application from this Union to see him, nor was he notified by them or by their representatives that they wished to see him on that afternoon. Arrangements were made by the General Secretary of the Union that the petition to the Governor would be delivered to the Secretariat and that the ex-Service men's procession would follow a route bringing it nowhere near Government House. The petition was duly presented by the General Secretary and five others at the Secretariat at 2.50 p.m. on 28th February and the delegation was assured that it would be presented to the Governor.

The petition was a lengthy one, and the principal points were a request by the ex-Service Men's Union for recognition by the Government owing to their dissatisfaction with the Gold Coast Legion which is the official ex-Service Men's Association; a demand for the release of several ex-Service men now serving court martial sentences; and increased financial and other assistance to ex-Service men generally. The Governor has given prompt consideration to these requests and proposes to reply to the petitioners in the near future.

Mr. Sorensen

May I ask the Under-Secretary of State whether any arrests were made in connection with these troubles and, in fact, whether he is aware of the underlying grievances out of which these sprang? Lastly, may I ask whether any warning was given regarding shooting, or whether shooting took place under conditions where no warning could be given?

Mr. Rees-Williams

I understand that certain arrests were made, but I have no particulars of those arrests. With regard to the other point, I prefer to say nothing further on causes until the Commission has reported. I am not quite sure what took place before the order to fire was given, but I know that the police officers were struck in the face by bricks and stones, and that they were bleeding pretty badly before any order to fire was given.

Mr. Gammans

Can the hon. Gentleman give some idea as to who will bear the cost of compensation for these losses? Can he say for what reason the situation got so much out of hand that over £1million worth of damage was done to movable property, quite apart from the damage done to immovable property? Who bears those losses?

Mr. Rees-Williams

That matter will arise, I take it, as a result of the inquiry.

Mr. J. Hudson

As the hon. Member emphasised in his first reply to the House upon this matter that drunkenness was a considerable factor in the disorders, will an instruction be given when the inquiry is made that full information should be secured on how that took place and what was the cause?

Mr. Rees-Williams

I understand that one of the causes was that the looters broke into a wine shop and drank the wine, but no doubt that will be considered with all other aspects.

Mr. W. Fletcher

Will the hon. Gentleman make quite certain that the terms of reference of the Commission include the matter of compensation for damage?

Mr. Rees-Williams

That is another matter. I shall have to consider that.

Mr. Gallaeher

I want to ask the Under-Secretary of State if, in view of the appalling character of these events, he and the Government will not consider seriously sending a responsible trade union delegation from this country to make a separate inquiry into the events?

Mr. Rees-Williams

There are trade unions and also trade union advisers in the Gold Coast at the moment. In due course I or my right hon. Friend will announce the composition of the Commission, and then the House can judge for itself.

Mr. Gallacher

Can we take it there will be somebody from this country?

Mr. Speaker

We cannot discuss the inquiry.