§ 27. Mr. Wallasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what proposals he now has for assisting the problems of land development and safeguarding the security of land titles in Kenya.
§ Mr. H. FraserAs regards the first part of the Question, the Kenya Government's present plans envisage the purchase, sub-division and farm planning of 180,000 acres. My right hon. Friend is awaiting further proposals from the Kenya Government for land purchase and development. On the second part of the Question, the position remains as indicated in my right hon. Friend's statement of 20th December last.
§ Mr. WallDoes that mean that further financial assistance will be provided for this country for land development? Can my hon. Friend say whether talks will be initiated with both Africans and Europeans about the whole future of land in the Colony?
§ Mr. FraserRegarding the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question, after my visit to Kenya, the Kenya Government are coming here with a plan for further development, and that we shall be looking into. As regards talks with Africans and Europeans on the question of land title, these talks, I believe, will at the appropriate moment be of vital importance.
§ Mr. F. HarrisOn the security of land title, inasmuch as everything in Kenya so much depends, economically, on the future of the long-term farming of the European farmers, how will the Minister overcome these difficulties of encouraging confidence in long-term farming, instead of this deplorable short-term farming which has to go on at the present time?
§ Mr. FraserI quite agree with a great deal of what my hon. Friend has said. It must be one of the prime objects of policy to ensure the title not only of Europeans but of African and Asian colonists inside Kenya.