HC Deb 07 April 1949 vol 463 cc210-1W
Mr. Skinnard

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies when a decision is likely to be reached on the Report of the Arusha-Moshi Lands Commission which was completed in 1936.

Mr. Rees-Williams

This Commission reported in 1946. Its recommendations have been accepted except as regards the areas of land to revert to native occupation in the two districts and the conditions which should be attached to this reversion. On this important point final proposals have been framed for the Moshi District but a decision has not yet been reached for the Arusha District. The Commission recommended that 17,381 acres of alienated land should be acquired for native occupation in the Moshi District. Under the proposals now accepted and announced by the Tanganyika Government 20,950 acres will be acquired for this purpose, 13,359 acres from ex-enemy estates and 7,591 acres from other alienated land. Of this area 9,440 acres will be available at once and 11,510 acres in 20 years time.

The Commission recommended that the Chagga Native Authority should be required to pay for estates acquired for native occupation. The proposals now announced provide that the Chagga shall not pay for the land but only for such unexhausted improvements as, in the opinion of the Tanganyika Government, they can and should use beneficially. The proposals also provide that an area of 155,000 acres on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro are to be developed for occupation by the Chagga pari passu with the increase of population and that the necessary development works in the northern portion of this area should be put in hand by the Tanganyika Government immediately. Consideration of this difficult question of land reversion in the Arusha District is now in its final stages and it is hoped that definite proposals will be formulated shortly.