§ 102. Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the Conference on East African Transport recently held in London.
Mr. Creech JonesAt my invitation the Chairman of the East Africa High Commission, the Acting Governor of Tanganyika and the East African Commissioner for Transport, accompanied by certain transport advisers, came to London at the end of December for discussions with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food and my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport and myself on general transport problems in East and Central Africa. Representatives of the Overseas Food Corporation, the Colonial Development Corporation, the East African Conference Lines and officials and advisers of the United Kingdom Government Departments concerned took part in the discussions, which lasted from 3rd to 7th of January.
The Conference brought under review the particular and immediate problem of the capacity of the port of Dar-es-Salaam and learnt from the East African representatives of the steps which had already been taken and which are projected to enable the port to handle the estimated tonnages of all users in the immediate future. These measures include the provision of additional lighterage, cranage and rolling stock, the extension of the lighterage quay, the more expeditious handling of cargoes on the quay side, an effective system of port management, more storage and, ultimately, two deep water quays, the first of which is expected to be completed by the end of 1951 and the second in 1952.
The Conference also considered the more general problem of the longer-term developments of communications in East and Central Africa. As my hon. Friend will be aware from my reply to the hon. Member for Western Dorset (Mr. Digby) on 1st of December last, proposals are in an advanced stage of consideration for a survey of alternative routes to provide a railway link between the Rhodesian and East African railway systems and also the route Broken Hill-Mikindani. The Conference regarded that part of the North-South link which would join the 135W Tanganyika section of the East African Railways with Mombasa as of the greatest importance, particularly as it would provide a spillway through Mombasa and Tanga, should the port of Dar-es-Salaam prove incapable, even with the addition of two deep water quays, of handling the increased volume of traffic likely to emerge from the economic development of Tanganyika. A Technical Committee in East Africa is at present investigating the possibilities of Dar-es-Salaam ever being developed beyond the present contemplated extensions into a major port. Its report will, I hope, be available in March, 1949, and in the light of its recommendations it will be possible to take decisions on the urgency of that part of the North-South link which would join the Tanganyika system to Mombasa.