HC Deb 01 May 1957 vol 569 cc16-7W
Sir L. Plummer

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what British and United States firms, respectively, are negotiating with the Government of Sierra Leone for the extraction of rutile; what similar firms are negotiating with the Governments of Somaliland and Gambia for the extraction of oil, and with those of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland for the discovery of radioactive minerals; to what extent the raw materials of these territories will be used to develop the territories' own industrial potentialities; and what action has been taken by the respective Governments arising from the circular on colonial mining policy issued by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to colonial Governments in 1946.

Mr. Lennox-Boyd:

British Titan Products Limited (British) and Columbia Southern Chemicals (United States) have been negotiating jointly with the Government of Sierra Leone for the extraction of rutile.

Conoco Somal Limited (United States) and the Standard Vacuum Oil Company (United States) are negotiating with the Government of Somaliland for the grant of oil prospecting licences, and the terms on which oil mining leases would subsequently be granted.

No negotiations with companies about the extraction of oil from the Gambia are taking place.

No negotiations for the extraction of radioactive minerals have taken place with the Government of Northern Rhodesia.

In Nyasaland, no negotiations are in progress with the Government.

Since none of the raw materials referred to has yet been produced in commercial quantities it is not yet possible to say whether, or how far, they will be used to develop the territories' own industrial potentialities. In any case, it does not follow that, because certain minerals are found in a particular territory, the economic interests of that territory are necessarily best served by developing local industries merely in order to make use of those minerals locally. The territory may derive greater economic benefit by marketing all its resources in international trade.

The Governments concerned have generally accepted the principles in the White Paper on Colonial Mining Policy (Colonial No. 206), and have taken legislative and administrative action where appropriate.