HC Deb 10 December 1952 vol 509 cc439-40
7. Mr. Hector Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what emergency legislation, rules and orders are now in force in Kenya.

Mr. Lyttelton

It would not be possible to give an account of all this legislation within the scope of a Question and answer. If the hon. and learned Member wants information on any particular point, he will, no doubt, put down a Question.

Copies of all but one of the Ordinances passed to deal with the threat to law and order before the proclamation of a state of emergency have been placed in the Library of the House. The exception is the Societies Ordinance, of which the final version is not yet available. Copies of the Emergency Regulations are also in the Library. Orders made under the Emergency Regulations are published in the Kenya Official Gazette, copies of which may be consulted in the Colonial Office Library.

Mr. Hughes

Is the Minister aware—I must put it in that form—that the particular matter upon which I want information is this: are any steps being taken to revise these rules and orders so as to make them more consonant with the needs of Kenya today?

Mr. Lyttelton

I really cannot answer a question in those terms. There is a mass of regulations here, and if the hon. and learned Gentleman will put down a Question on specific points I can perhaps give him an answer.

Mr. Fenner Brockway

Is the right hon. Gentleman now in a position to state how many persons were arrested for screening under these Orders? A week ago he said he had not got that information.

Mr. Lyttelton

I think the hon. Gentleman's memory is slightly at fault. I do not believe the total number of people screened will be available; I do not think I can give that information.

Mr. Brockway

Are there so many?

Mr. Lyttelton

The figure I did give was that 13,000 people had been detained after screening.

Mr. Hughes

On a point of order. The right hon. Gentleman has not answered the last part of my Question asking what are the physical and other conditions of their detention.

Mr. Speaker

That was the last Question, not this Question. We are now on Question No. 7.