§ The following Question stood upon the Order Paper:
§ 29.Mr. J. HYND: To ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies, what was the date of the formal approach by the 1459 Federal Government to the Northern Rhodesian Government requesting the latter to take over the Copperbelt Technical Foundation in Northern Rhodesia from the Anglo-American Corporation and the Rhodesian Selection Trust; what reply was sent to the Federal Government; and if he will ensure that the Foundation will be run by the Northern Rhodesiao Government on multiracial lines.
Mr. HyndMay I draw attention to the fact that the formulation of the Question on the Order Paper is far removed from the terms in which I first put it down? The first part does not seem to make sense, because the Federal Government have made no approach. I should still like to have an answer to the second part of the Question.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodI shall stick to the brief. So far as I am aware, the Federal Government have made no request that the Northern Rhodesdan Government should take over the Copper-belt Technical Foundation. The admission of non-Europeans is a matter for the Foundation to decide.
Improvising an answer to the second part of the Question, of course the association of non-Europeans is a matter for the Foundation to decide, but one which it has been recently closely examining.
Mr. HyndSurely the whole point about this is that the Foundation wants to give up this responsibility and has asked both the Federal and Northern Rhodesian Governments to take it over for the purpose of opening it up for Africans and whites? The Federal Government will not do so, but say the Territorial Government are not permitted to do so because this is a question of African education.
In view of the stupid situation which is preventing an all-racial technical college for the copper mines being in operation, will not the right hon. Gentleman try to sort the thing out one way or the other? Will he encourage the Northern Rhodesian Government to take it over and open it up for all-racial education? Will he bring it before the Monckton Commission, or do something about it?
§ Mr. MacleodThe Northern Rhodesian Government were asked some time ago 1460 to make a grant to provide halls for the Foundation but refused because, as the hon. Member knows, the technical education was not open to non-Europeans. This is a matter which has recently been discussed by the Foundation. All I can say is that I shall study what the hon. Member has said and, if there is any way in which I can help along the lines the hon. Member has indicated, I shall try to do so.