§ Mr. LYLEasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been called to allegation in the Press of the serious financial position in which ex-service men who went out as emigrants under the land settlement scheme to Kenya Colony now find them selves, and whether, under the circumstances, he will instruct the Government to see what steps can be taken to enable them to weather the time of stress in which they temporarily find themselves?
§ Lieut.-Colonel AMERYYes, Sir. A letter written from East Africa was brought to the notice of the Colonial Office in July, and immediately referred to the Governor of Kenya for his report. The Governor stated that the allegation made in the letter that a number of the allottees of farms bad returned to England disappointed and ruined was much2142W exaggerated, and that in very few cases was it true that these new settlers had found themselves in serious difficulties. It was true that some of them had spent their available capital unwisely on their first arrival, and no doubt certain allottees wore personally unsuited to life in East Africa. The Governor has already taken steps to assist the service settlers by an all-round reduction of the purchase price by one-third with a re-valuation of individual farms which may result in a further reduction. Mortgaging of the farms will be permitted, and the Governor will have a discretionary power to make exemptions in special cases from the limitations imposed under the scheme. In addition, he has taken steps to cope with the high prices of food and other commodities by appointing a Commission on Profiteering.