HC Deb 18 December 1952 vol 509 cc273-4W
Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1) what steps have been taken by the Members of the African Provincial Council of Nyasaland to inform the African Tobacco and Cotton Producers on the use of the Native Development and Welfare Fund;

(2) what methods are used by the African Provincial Councils to consult the growers of tobacco and cotton on the use of the Native Development and Welfare Fund.

Mr. Lyttelton

, pursuant to his replies [OFFICIAL REPORT, Vol. 505, c. 215 and Vol. 507, c. 55] gave the following information:

There is no specific relationship between African Provincial Councils, which are non-statutory advisory bodies, and the producers as such. The Native Development and Welfare Fund Ordinance, 1949. provides that:

  1. (a) The Governor may make grants to the Treasury of native authorities;
  2. (b) The Governor in Council may make grants or loans for any purpose intended to promote the welfare or the social or economic benefit of the natives of the Protectorate generally;
  3. (c) The Governor in Council may make allocations to Provincial Commissioners to be applied for any purpose intended to promote the welfare or the social or economic development of natives within their respective provinces.
In the case of (b) the Governor in Council may, though this is not statutorily required, take the advice of local opinion on schemes under consideration by consultation with the existing representative advisory bodies, e.g. the African Provincial Councils. In the case of (c) provision is made for consultation on the uses of the fund through Provincial Development Committees, established by the Ordinance. These Committees examine in detail provincial development schemes to be financed from Native Development and Welfare funds. before these are submitted to the Government for approval. Schemes are put up to the Provincial Development Committees by local development committees at district level; all these committees have African members. Consultation with the mass of the people takes place at the district level and African producers of either tobacco or cotton are found in every district in the Southern and Central Provinces and in one district of the Northern Province.