§ 7. Mr. Fenner Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, in view of the fact that the Wemuru, in Tanganyika, petitioned to the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations in August, 1951, against the intention of the Tanganyika administration to evict them from their land, and that they were evicted in November, 1951, before the Trusteeship Council had had an opportunity to consider this petition, he will instruct that the tribe be reinstated with compensation for the losses they have suffered, pending a consideration of their petition by the next meeting of the Trusteeship Council.
§ Mr. HopkinsonNo, Sir.
§ Mr. BrockwayIs it not accepted practice that where the right of a petition to an authority is given, action shall not be taken before the authority has had an opportunity to consider the petition?
§ Mr. HopkinsonThe terms of the land settlement scheme in the Wemuru area were drawn up and publicly announced in June, 1949. After that, arrangements went forward for carrying out the scheme. It was not until two years later when the time came for the move to be made that the Wemuru concerned petitioned the Trusteeship Council.
As the right hon. Gentleman the Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths) has said on many occasions, it is clear that the land which the Wemuru are to receive is better than the land which they are vacating. As far as the position of the Trusteeship Council is concerned, it is not the practice, and we could not agree, that Her Majesty's Government should undertake to accept their directions in regard to the day-to-day carrying out of policy.