Mr. David Adamsasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that while the Tanganyika Labour Department was in existence it was found possible to abolish the penal clauses in native labour contracts, thus saving great numbers of natives from being branded as criminals, efficient labour being secured by more humane methods; and whether the Government will take early steps to abolish penal sanctions in native labour contracts throughout the Empire?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe penal sanctions applicable to labour contracts in Tanganyika Territory have not at any time been abolished; but the system has already been modified or abolished in a number of Colonies. Following upon the discussions at the recent session of the International Labour Conference, I am now in further communication on this question with all the Colonial Governments concerned.
Mr. David Adamsasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) whether he is aware that in Tanganyika the Labour Department established in 1926 and abolished, on grounds of economy, in 1930 has not yet been re-established and that no other Department of a similar nature has been tried in any other part of British Colonial Africa, despite its excellent results; and whether special safeguards will be instituted to prevent the cessation of necessary social work in African Colonies on future occasions of declining revenue;
(2) whether, in view of the possibilities of declining colonial revenues in Africa in the next few years, he will issue instructions that economies in necessary social services must be the last to be made, and that they should be made only after the matter has been placed before this House?
Mr. M. MacDonaldThe functions of the Tanganyika Labour Department, which was abolished as a separate organisation in 1931, were taken over, in part by the Provincial Administration and in part by the Secretariat. Last year the 1351W formation of a separate organisation to deal with labour questions was approved, and a Chief Inspector of Labour and two Labour Inspectors have already been appointed.
As to the establishment of Labour Departments and Inspectorates in other parts of British Colonial Africa, I would refer the hon. Member to the section dealing with the supervision of labour conditions on page 50 of the recent Command Paper 5760.
I sympathise with the hon. Member's desire to preserve the social services in British Colonial Africa, but I am afraid that it would not be practicable to commit the Governments concerned to any specific undertaking in advance of the circumstances envisaged in the hon. Member's questions.