HC Deb 29 November 1951 vol 494 cc1699-700
23. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations how far the reports which he has received from the three investigators who were sent by his predecessor to Bechuanaland affect Basutoland and Swaziland as well as Bechuanaland; and in what way.

The Minister of State for Colonial Affairs (Mr. Alan Lennox-Boyd)

I have been asked to reply. The task given to the observers by the predecessor of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was to report on the Bamangwato tribe's attitude on the single question of Tshekedi Khama's return to the tribal Reserve as a private individual. Their reports are confined to this one question.

Mr. Hughes

Can the hon. Gentleman say what is causing the great delay in making the reports available to hon. Members, whether it is as a result of those reports that Tshekedi Khama has been invited to this country, and, if so, for what purpose?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

The reports were only received in September and this Government has been in power for only a very few weeks, and there has been no delay whatever. As the hon. and learned Gentleman no doubt knows, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations will be seeing Tshekedi Khama on his visit to London.

27. Mrs. Eirene White

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations if he can now state whether it is proposed to publish the report of the official observers sent to Bechuanaland.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to publish these reports shortly.

Mrs. White

Will the Minister, in publishing these reports, consider whether he might also publish the representations which, I believe, have been sent to his right hon. Friend by the chiefs of the Territory concerned?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I am sorry, but I did not quite hear the first part of the hon. Lady's observations.

Mrs. White

Would the Minister ask his right hon. Friend to consider publishing also the representations upon this matter which have been sent to the Minister by the chiefs in the Territory concerned?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

I do not think that they would be suitable for publication as a White Paper. After all, there was the Report of the observers who were sent out to Africa as a result of the decision of the previous Government, and that is entirely suitable for publication. I do not think that the other representations are suitable for publication, but I will refer the matter to my right hon. Friend