HC Deb 27 January 1955 vol 536 cc51-2W
86. Mr. T. Reid

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he is aware that about half the British employees of the Sudan Government have resigned; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Turton

The Sudanisation Committee, set up under Article 8 of the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement of 1953, has completed its examination of all Sudan Government posts. The majority of the Committee's recommendations have been accepted by the Sudan Council of Ministers and have received the Governor-General's assent. In addition, Clause 4 (ii) of the Sudan Government's Compensation Ordinance, under which non-Sudanese officials have the right to give notice of their intention to resign on compensation on or after 1st January, if their posts are not scheduled for Sudanisation, is now in operation.

The Sudanisation Committee's terms of reference, set out in Annex III to the Agreement, were "to complete the Sudanisation of the administration, police, the Sudan Defence Force and any other Government post that may affect the freedom of the Sudanese at the time of self-determination," and to "review the various Government posts with a view to cancelling any unnecessary or redundant post held by Egyptian or British officials."

According to an official statement issued by the Sudan Government on 12th January, the Sudanisation Committee took cognisance of 1,036 posts held by British officials and declared 598 of them to be capable of affecting the free and neutral atmosphere requisite for self' determination. The Committee also decided that 11 posts were redundant and should be suppressed.

Of the 598 posts scheduled for Sudanisation, 238 are to be Sudanised "immediately" and 360 "as soon as possible." The Sudan Government have decided that those officials whose posts have been scheduled for Sudanisation "as soon as possible" will leave before 31st December. It is reported that so far notices have been given to 260 British officials due for Sudanisation and that these officials will probably leave the Sudan before the end of March. According to our present information, of the 427 British officials whose posts were declared "non-influential," 147 have so far exercised their right to resign on compensation.