§ Q4. Mr. John Hallasked the Prime Minister when he received the petition from the Civil Service Association of Kenya on behalf of non-designated overseas officers in the Kenya Civil Service; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Prime MinisterI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. G. Thomas) on Tuesday.
§ Mr. HallIs the Prime Minister aware that the Kenyan Government support the claim that non-designated officers should be treated on the same basis as designated officers? If there is any doubt in this matter, is it not right in the present circumstances that the non-designated officer should be given the benefit of that doubt?
§ The Prime MinisterI quite understand the problem. I am already in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies. I will continue to keep in close touch with him about these matters, but I should prefer not to go further than that today.
§ Dr. KingIs the Prime Minister aware that Questions in the House earlier today have revealed that on both sides of the House there is disquiet about the injustice being done to a group of men who have served Her Majesty's Government in Kenya very faithfully?
§ The Prime MinisterI quite understand that point, which we discussed only last Tuesday, and for that reason 632 I am on touch with my right hon. Friend on this matter.
§ Mr. G. BrownIn considering this, will the Prime Minister look up the precedents which the Labour Government established at the time of the independence of India, and the very large sum of money—about £20 million—which was then paid to maintain the morale of the civil service concerned? Will he take that into account in deciding to be as generous as he can in the case of Kenya?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir, but I think that this is rather a different matter. This is a matter between officers recruited by Her Majesty's Government and officers recruited locally.