§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many British companies to date have received compensation for the loss of their properties and other assets in Uganda; whether he will list any which have obtained repossession; and if he will make a statement;
(2) whether he has any information as the number of British Ugandan Asians who have been allowed (a) compensation and (b) full repossession under the Ugandan Expropriated Properties Act; and if he will list the cases concerned.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe Ugandan authorities advised us in March that 12 companies and estates had been returned, together with certificates of title, to their British former owners who had applied for their repossession under the provisions of the Ugandan Expropriated Properties Act 1982. In the case of the first eight properties listed, the companies and estates concerned are being operated on a joint venture basis with the Government of Uganda: in the final four cases the companies concerned were returned outright to their former owners. The list is as follows:
- 1. The Sugar Corporation of Uganda Ltd.,
- 2. The UGMA Engineering Corporation, and
- 3. The Cable Corporation of Uganda.
(These three corporations are owned by the British Asian Mehta group of companies.)
- 4. The Uganda Tea Corporation Ltd.,
- 5. The Kiamara Group,
- 6. The Mityana Tea Estates, and
- 7. The Toro/Kahuna Tea Estates.
(Those four companies and estates are owned by the Mitchell Cotts group of companies.)
- 8. The African Textile Mill, Mbale.(owned by J. V. Patel).
- 9. Mulco Textiles Ltd/Pamba Textiles Ltd,
- 10. Mulbox Ltd,
- 11. Miltyres Ltd., and
- 12. The Associated Match Co Ltd.
(These final four companies are owned by the British Asian Madhvani group of companies).
As will be seen, eight out of the first 12 properties which have been returned were owned by British citizens of Asian origin.
We have not so far heard of any case where compensation has been paid under this Act to a British former owner of property in Uganda.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the verification committee of the Ugandan Government to report; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyThe verification committee is charged under regulation 7 of the Uganda Expropriated Properties (Repossession and Disposal) Regulations 1983 (No. 6 of 1983) with preparing reports for the Minister of Finance on each application to repossess a property or a business which has been made under the provisions of the Uganda Expropriated Properties Act 1982. We understand that the580W committee also submits regular reports on its work to the Minister of Finance. We have not however, heard of the publication of any report on the committee's work.