§ Mr. Priceasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs whether he has received any report from the Government of the Union of South Africa as to the working of the Native Trust and Land Act, 1936; whether he can state how much land has been acquired under this Act in order to extend the area available for native occupation; and whether the area has yet reached the prescribed percentage of 12 per cent. of the total area of the Union?
Marquess of HartingtonThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. With regard to the second and third parts a White Paper containing a statement of land policy under the Act in question was issued by the Union Government last February. It was explained in this Paper that the requisite preliminaries to the actual purchase of land must of necessity take a considerable time, but that inspection and valuation reports were being prepared and that it was contemplated that by the end of last March the purchase of a very considerable area would have been effected. I have no particulars as to the amount of land so far acquired, but General Hertzog, speaking in the Union Parliament on 30th April, 1936, indicated that approximately five years would be needed to complete the scheme.