HC Deb 14 December 1955 vol 547 c1195
40. Mr. N. Pannell

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the nationality of the surveyors employed in the Survey Department of Northern Nigeria.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Of twenty-five qualified surveyors nineteen are British (including one naturalised Pole), one is Nigerian, two are Dutch and three are Danish. There are, in addition, a number of locally trained Nigerians who are not fully qualified professionally.

Mr. Pannell

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the recruitment of surveyors from non-British sources is giving rise to serious difficulties which are hampering the work of the Department, and can he use his influence to encourage the engagement of surveyors of British nationality?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

We are all anxious that we should do so, and also that we should train Africans to do these jobs. The important thing is to get the surveying done rather than be too nationalist in our approach.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

How many of these surveyors are women?