§ Mr. Pargiterasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what progress has been made by the Government of Northern Rhodesia with regard to the plans proposed, after the closing of the Bancroft Mine, to use some of the labour available in the provinces on development schemes including three hydro-electric stations at Fort Rosebery, Abercorn and Kasama, afforestation of tracts of land, improvement of communications, development of Mpulungu Fort, near Abercorn, at the southern tip of Lake 47W Tanganyika and intensive development of the fishing industry on productive Lake Banguelu.
§ Mr. Lennox-Boyd,pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 24th November, 1958; Vol. 596, c. 13], supplied the following information:
The Governor of Northern Rhodesia has informed me that it is not possible to state the number of former employees of the Bancroft Mine who are presently employed on development projects in the Northern and Luapula Provinces. Applications for employment on development projects including those mentioned in the Question, from those persons repatriated from the Copperbelt are always sympathetically considered and every effort is made to place applicants in suitable forms of employment.
In 1958 development projects in these Provinces have been affected by a shortage rather than a surplus of labour. In these two Provinces some 2,100 Africans are in employment with private employers and there are some 6,000 daily paid Africans employed by Government. Many of both classes are employed on development projects and under present conditions all kinds of employment are available for those ready to work.
The Bancroft Mine have announced that full-scale production will be resumed on the 1st April, 1959, and in readiness for this resumption of production the Company is building up its African labour strength by recalling those who were laid off early in 1958.
The response has so far been poor and of those recalled in August and September and October only 45 and 43 respectively took advantage of the offer of re-employment. It is considered that this response may indicate that many have obtained alternative employment which they are reluctant to leave.