HC Deb 18 February 1958 vol 582 c1007
9. Mr. K. Robinson

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals he has made, following his discussions with Mr. E. A. Vasey, for assisting the Kenya Government to undertake relief works among the Kikuyu in order to reduce unemployment in the Kikuyu reserves.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

Provision is already made by the Kenya Government within their emergency vote for relief works in the Kikuyu areas, which suffer from special difficulties in reabsorbing and resettling released detainees. Her Majesty's Government have made each year a general contribution towards expenditure arising from the emergency, and the money is not directed specifically to particular subheads within the emergency vote.

Mr. Robinson

Is it not inviting trouble to allow the present level of unemployment in the reserves to continue unchecked, and is it not as necessary for Her Majesty's Government to assist the Kenya Government in this matter as it was during the height of the emergency?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

We are assisting them indeed, and in quite a definite way, about which there is another Question on the Order Paper today.

Mr. Wall

Will my right hon. Friend agree that the major area of unemployment is the Kiambu area, near Nairobi, and that if Africans would accept agricultural work, as opposed to wishing to work in a semi-urban area, the situation would be relieved quite quickly?

Mr. Lennox-Boyd

There is something in that. I believe that I am right in saying that about 50,000 people have been found employment recently in the Kiambu area.