HC Deb 28 May 1952 vol 501 cc1342-3
31. Mr. Hale

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will report the extent to which Her Majesty's Government, as administering authority in Tanganyika, have succeeded in issuing to the inhabitants of Tanganyika a progressively increasing share in the administrative and other services of the territory, and giving figures of the number of personnel involved, in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of the Trusteeship Agreement for Tanganyika, Command Paper No. 7081.

Mr. Hopkinson

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the indigenous inhabitants.

The distribution by races of posts in the public service is given in Appendix V to each Annual Report on the territory. The Report for 1950 is in the Library. The 1951 Report will be placed there when it is published, probably in July. The senior and more responsible posts are still filled by non-Africans, but one objective of the education development plan now being carried out is to raise the standard of African education and so enable Africans to qualify for appointments to these posts

Mr. Hale

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, when this mandate had passed from the League of Nations to the United Nations, his Ministry entered into a solemn undertaking, in the form of the Command Paper to which the Question refers, to proceed progressively to give democratic representation and participation in administration to the indigenous population, and will he make it clear to the House that he intends to proceed with that as rapidly as possible?

Mr. Hopkinson

I think I made that clear on answer to the Question. As I have said, the plan of the Tanganyika Government for the development of African education is published in the Annual Report for 1950. Its main features are: increases in the target figure for pupils in primary and secondary schools, for the gradual replacement of district by middle schools, increased provision for girls' education and an increase in teacher training facilities.