§ 42. Mrs. Castleasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the trouble among Mau Mau prisoners at Mageta Island detention camp, Kenya, which led to the detailing of 50 extra prison staff to the camp on 16th July.
§ Mr. HareMage. Island is a special detention camp in which 1,995 Mau Mau adherents are detained in the interests of maintaining public order. It is a potentially valuable agricultural area covered with thick bush, which is being cleared by the detainees who are paid for the work they do. Since 22nd June, however, the detainees have refused to do any work other than camp maintenance.
Experience has shown that it is difficult to rehabilitate any detainee who is not given work to do; accordingly, an investigation was put in hand to identify the ringleaders. This was being resisted, and to prevent passive resistance turning to violence and to deal with violence should it occur, security forces on the Island were increased, 209 ringleaders were identified and isolated without incident on 20th July, in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner of Prisons.
§ Mrs. CastleIs it not a fact that, under the Emergency Regulations of Kenya, detainees in special camps of this kind can be compelled only to do work which contributes to the ending of the emergency, and that these men have been compelled to do general agricultural work which does not fall within this category? Can the right hon. Gentleman honestly say that it is rehabilitating offenders to compel them to do work contrary to the law?
§ Mr. HareI cannot accept the assumption of the hon. Lady that this work is contrary to the law. My information is that the work is within the Emergency Regulation under which it has been ordered. I will certainly look into what the hon. Lady says, but I think she is wrong.
§ Mr. S. SilvermanCan the hon. Gentleman say how many out of nearly 2,000 of these persons have actually been charged with offences or convicted of offences, and how far, therefore, it is proper to describe them as offenders?
§ Mr. HareI think the hon. Gentleman should know that these are the hard core of Mau Mau, most of whom have not been tried by the courts because it was impossible to bring witnesses forward in face of the intimidation and threats which have been levelled.
§ Mr. BevanThey are not offenders—is that what the Minister means? They are persons who are detained in the public interest. How long have they been detained, and if they are engaged on agricultural work, is it work for the Administration or work for private persons?
§ Mr. HareI have used the word "detainees" throughout. The length of time that these people have been detained obviously varies very much. Without full investigation, I cannot begin to answer that question.
§ Mr. BevanIs it not desirable to obtain information if there is a Question on the Order Paper which relates to unrest amongst a large number of prisoners who are detainees at Her Majesty's pleasure in the public interest and for the purpose of maintaining public order? Would it not have been desirable to find out whether their resentment is not against their continued detention over a long period of time with hardly any hope of getting out.
§ Mr. HareAgain I think it is unreasonable of the right hon. Gentleman to suggest that I should have found out full details of how long all these people have been detained when it was not in the Question.