§ Mr. Mackasked the Secretary of State for War if he will give the scope and purpose of the store depot which is under construction in East Africa.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe East African project is a Store Holding Organisation on a large scale. The chosen site is some 65 miles North-West of Mombasa, and in it will be accumulated selected military stores and tropical service equipment which can be more conveniently stored in that part of the world. A large accumulation of stores of all kinds was built up in the Middle East and Indian Ocean areas during the war, to support the North African, Italian and Far East campaigns, and large quantities of these were on hand at the end of the war. A great deal has been, or is being, disposed of, including nearly everything suitable for civil use, but there is much material of military pattern, largely irreplaceable, which must be kept for the future needs of the Army. Arrangements are in hand at present for the removal of essential stores of this kind from India to East Africa. Removal will follow from other areas depending on Government policy. The project is limited in scope and is being developed as economically as possible. East African labour is being recruited under the ægis of the Kenya Government, and will be supervised by British military technical officers and other ranks.