§ 7. Mrs. Castleasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many visits detainees in Lokitaung detention camp, Northern Province, Kenya, are allowed to receive from relatives per month; how many letters they are allowed to send and receive per month; and what is their daily water ration.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the convicts at Lokitaung prison, since there is only one detainee there. In common with all other convicted prisoners in Kenya, those at Lokitaung may be allowed by the officer-in-charge once in each month the privilege of visits from relatives, and to write and receive one letter. Water is not now rationed at Lokitaung.
§ Mrs. CastleIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that his Answer confirms one at least of the facts in the letter from this prison camp which has caused so 870 much excitement? Is the Colonial Secretary also aware that, almost weekly, hon. Members of this House are now receiving letters, not merely from these out-and-out Mau-Mau convicts but from detention camps throughout Kenya, and it is quite impossible for hon. Members at this distance to learn the facts? In view of that, will he say whether members of the Kenya Legislative Council who represent Africans there have the right of free access to this prison came just as Members of Parliament would have access to prison camps in this country?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIn reply to the three questions asked by the hon. Lady, my Answer in no way confirms any one of the charges made by these convicts. I dealt with this problem in great detail last night. The restriction on receipt of mail, for example, applies to all convicts, not just this particular lot, whether European or African. In reply to the second part of her supplementary question, if the hon. Lady is now receiving large numbers of letters from detainees, it is all part of a campaign to try to smear the security forces and the Administration in Kenya. In regard to the last part of the supplementary question, I have nothing whatever to add to what I said in the debate last night.
§ Mr. CallaghanFurther to the last answer, I do not think that the right hon. Gentleman dealt at all with the third question last night. I was present and heard the whole of the debate. May I ask him, therefore, if he cannot give a simple reply to that question? Is is possible for African members—and, indeed, European members—of the Kenya Legislative Council to visit these camps or prisons and see the conditions there?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThere is a later Question on the Paper on that point.
§ 13. Mr. Brockwayasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the result of the investigation of the charges made in a letter by five prisoners at Lokitaung, Kenya, a copy of which has been forwarded by the hon. Member for Eton and Slough, particularly the charge that the prisoners were compelled to draw their water from a well condemned by the doctors and in which dogs' carcasses and filth had been thrown for years.
§ 15 and 16. Mr. E. Fletcherasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he has approved the policy of the Kenya Government in keeping political prisoners in the desert prison of Lokitaung without water;
(2) what report he has received from the District Officer, Mr. C. L. Ryland, regarding the conditions in which political prisoners are detained at Lokitaung; and what steps he is taking in the matter.
§ 17. Mr. K. Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if the Government of Kenya has now concluded its inquiry into allegations of brutality and physical hardships suffered by prisoners at Lokitaung Prison in the Northern Province of Kenya; what were the findings; and if he will make a statement.
§ 23. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement regarding the inquiry of the Kenya Government into the conditions at Her Majesty's Prison, Lokitaung, and, in particular, the complaints of ill-treatment of political detainees.
§ 25. Mr. Wadeasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he has any statement to make on the conditions and treatment of political prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison, at Lokitaung, in Kenya.
§ 26. Mr. D. Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the inquiry that is being held by the Kenya Government into the conditions of political prisoners serving sentences there.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI would refer the hon. Members to my reply to my hon. Friend, the Member for Haltemprice (Mr. Wall) on 11th June.
§ Mr. BrockwayAs the only inquiry which has been made has been by a senior officer of the Defence Department of the Government of Kenya and in view of the fact that over the last two years—not only just recently—hon. Members have had frequent complaints, which we have always referred to the Minister, will the Minister now establish an independent and impartial judicial inquiry so that these charges can be met?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydNo, Sir. I will not do any such thing. I would ask all hon. Members to read the very full statement I made last night. The HANSARD containing it is not yet available to hon. Members, but when it is I would advise them to read it. If after reading it they have anything further to pursue, I am always ready to answer Questions.
§ Mr. StonehouseAs no person who is not a member of the Administration has been to the prison since these complaints were made, is not it essential, in view of the necessity to deal with these rumours once and for all, for an impartial inquiry to be held?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI dealt with that last night and I gave the list of people of all sorts and kinds, official and unofficial, who have been at the prison in recent months. I must repeat my plea that, on matters affecting the honour of the Kenya Legislative Council and a particular officer, hon. Members should read what was said last night before asking ill-thought-out questions and still further disseminating suspicion and uncertainty which is quite unjustified.
§ Mr. CallaghanThe Colonial Secretary must not add to his bullying of the House last night by lecturing us now. Is not it the case that normally the administration of these prisons is within the reach of independent observers? This prison is hundreds of miles away and no independent observation can be made, or has been made, by European or African members of the Legislative Council, nor anything of the sort. Does not the right hon. Gentleman think that, quite apart from anyone's honour, there is an obligation on him to ensure that there is some independent check upon the activities and administration of these institutions, which are a long way removed from civilisation?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydMany hon. Members here now were not here last night. I must ask all of them to read what I said. If thereafter they still think there is anything worth pursuing, I will readily answer Questions.
§ Mr. CallaghanI am sorry to persist, but will the Colonial Secretary answer the fair question which was put to him? Does he recognise that, where the Administration is not in touch, there is 873 a particular obligation upon him to have some special inquiries made and special oversight of it? May I have a straight answer to that question?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe answer is that I do not think there is any need whatever to do beyond what I said last night had been done, which I believe will leave all fair-minded people convinced of the truth of the answers given.
14. Mrs. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when the Prison Visiting Committee last visited Lokitaung Prison, Kenya; and how many visits have been paid during the past five years.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIt has not been practicable to appoint official visitors to Lokitaung Prison since people were not available who could visit this prison regularly. The prison is, however, visited regularly by the visiting justices, who perform the same functions of inspection as official visitors, and also by senior prisons officers.
My information does not at present cover a five-year period but during the last eighteen months visiting justices have made seven, and senior prison officers nine, visits to Lokitaung.
Mrs. WhiteAs the visiting justices are, I understand, the Provincial Commissioner and the District Commissioner, surely the right hon. Gentleman will realise that that kind of visit is not the sort of independent visit with which we are concerned? Quite apart from any of the immediate charges, would not he agree that it is not satisfactory for any such establishment to be without some kind of independent visiting?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydNo, Sir. I cannot agree to that. As I said at great length last night, people who are more concerned than anybody else to clear the Administration of charges and to arrive at the truth have arrived at certain conclusions. I gave a long list of other people who have also been to the prison recently.
§ Mr. CallaghanIs it on this Question that the Colonial Secretary proposes to tell us whether he will allow members of the Legislative Council to visit the prison, or is there some other Question on which he proposes to do so?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe hon. Member can read the Order Paper for himself.
§ 28. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to what extent elected members of the Kenya Legislative Council are allowed to visit detention camps and prisons in the Colony; and how many such visits have been made during the last twelve months to Lokitaung Prison in Turkana District.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydBoth in detention camps and prisons all visits are at the discretion of the officer in charge or the Commissioner of Police; convicts may, as a privilege, receive one visit a month from friends. No visits have been made by elected members of the Kenya Legislative Council to Lokitaung Prison.
§ Mr. StonehouseWhat answer is being given to the elected members' request that they should be allowed to visit this prison in particular? Has the Minister seen the report in the Uganda Argus last week indicating that the administrative secretary has given an invitation to elected members in Uganda to visit prisons in Uganda? If those facilities are provided in Uganda, may we ask why the elected members in Kenya are not given them?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI should first draw a very clear distinction between the Mau Mau conspiracy, which has devastated parts of Kenya, and the Protectorate of Uganda. No greater mistake is made than to assume that the circumstances are similar everywhere. Answering the first part of the supplementary question, I should not be altogether surprised if the Kenya Government were reluctant to allow visits by Kenya elected members in view of the effect which certain utterances by some members had when circulated secretly last year in Athi River detention camp, when there was a great increase in the number of detainees refusing to co-operate in rehabilitation. I am content to leave this point, and many others also, to the discretion of the Governor and the Commissioner of Police.
§ Mr. CallaghanIn that case may I ask the Colonial Secretary whether he will convey to the Governor that in the minds of a great many people it will be very improper and will give an entirely false impression if elected members of the 875 Legislative Council are not allowed to visit this prison, in view of the fact that there is no one else, as far as I know, who is in a position to do so and who is outside Government service?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI will always convey anything said in the House to His Excellency the Governor, but I repeat that the experience gained in other detention camps as a result of some communications from elected members does not suggest that this is the best way to help to bring Kenya back to normal.
§ Mr. F. M. BennettAfter all the revelations in last night's Adjournment debate, would not Opposition apologies be more in keeping today than further Questions?
§ Mr. PagetIf we are to expect elected members in Kenya to be responsible, is it not highly important to treat them as responsible people? When all is said and done, and however bogus the Lokitaung complaints may have been, cases in the courts have shown that some pretty terrible things have happened occasionally in Kenya prisons, enough to cause some anxiety. I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will consider this question of allowing the elected members to visit prisons as, of course, they would be allowed to visit them in England.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI do not think it would be the contention of any elected African members that I have not treated them with a desire to try to give them a sense of responsibility.
§ Mr. StonehouseWhen will the elected members get a reply to their request to be allowed to visit this and other detention camps?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThat is a request made to the Government of Kenya and I am sure that a reply will be sent at the earliest date, but I will convey that question to the Governor.