§ 23. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what steps are being taken to implement the recommendation of the Dow Commission that land in the Kenya Highlands should be opened up to African farming.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Member will have seen the views of the Kenya Government set out in Cmd. 9801 and the statement made by my hon. Friend during the debate on the Report on 31st May. The Royal Commission recommended the abandonment of land reservations in both European and African areas; the Kenya Government pointed out that it would be injudicious to try to move faster than public opinion, among all communities, allowed.
§ Mr. StonehouseIs the Secretary of State aware that it would help to reduce tension in Kenya if some decision could be taken in the near future on the Kenya Highlands? Is he further aware that a former Kenya Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Michael Blundell, recently said that there is unused land in the White Highlands that is open for development? Can he say whether the African farmers would have at last an opportunity of going in to develop that land?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Member cannot have it both ways. The Commission expressly linked reservations of African land and reservations of land for Europeans. The important thing is that the land should be properly farmed. I am glad to see indications of a greater disposition among all races to regard this as an agrarian and not a political problem.