§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I desire to ask a Question of which I have given Private Notice—namely, to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make a statement concerning the reports in the Press yesterday with regard to the regrettable incidents in Blantyre, Nyasaland, on January 26 during the Prime Minister's visit.
§ THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR COLONIAL AFFAIRS (THE EARL OF PERTH)My Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in reply to a Question in another place yesterday, undertook to make a statement on this incident as soon as he had had an opportunity of studying the Governor's report. It is hoped that the statement will be made at the latest by early next week.
§ VISCOUNT ALEXANDER OF HILLSBOROUGHMy Lords, I am obliged for the noble Earl's Answer. May I ask him whether it would not be most desirable, in view of the comparative unanimity of the reports of the Press correspondents in all classes of papers, that a study of the reports should be urgently made? A great portion of the public must be anxious that the Government should set up an inquiry.
§ THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, I am well aware of the urgency of this Question. That was why, before any Question was put down in either House on this matter, we had already requested from the Governor a report on the incident.
VISCOUNT STANSGATEMy Lords, is the noble Earl in a position to say what troops were used to restore order? Were they Federal troops or Nyasaland troops?
§ THE EARL OF PERTHMy Lords, so far as I know, there was no question of any troops of any kind or description being used.