Oral Answers to Questions — Royal Navy. – in the House of Commons at on 6 March 1935.
Captain GUEST:
13.asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will state the specific recommendations made by the Joint Select Committee on Closer Union in East Africa, issued in 1931, regarding the claim of Kenya taxpayers to secure the right to control their own financial affairs?
Mr Philip Lloyd-Greame
, Hendon
As I reminded the hon. and gallant Member in reply to his question last week, the Joint Select Committee advised in paragraph 75 of their report that
Conditions in East Africa demand the maintenance of an effective power of Intervention by the Crown in all matters of local legislation and administration. This power will be exercised by His Majesty's
Government acting through the Secretary of State.
The Committee went on to point out in paragraphs 96–98 that the wishes of the Governor and, if necessary, of the Secretary of State are carried out, and must continue to be carried out, by the existence of an official Majority in the Legislative Council.
Sir Robert Hamilton
, Orkney and Shetland
Is it not a fact that the finding of the Joint Select Committee was generally accepted in Kenya?
Mr Philip Lloyd-Greame
, Hendon
The opinions expressed by some of the elected members in Kenya were fully considered by the Joint Select Committee which represented all parties in both Houses. The report of the Joint Select Committee was unanimous, and I think it was fully debated and unanimously accepted in both Houses of Parliament.
Mr Philip Lloyd-Greame
, Hendon
No. I should say the position to-day, financial and economic, is better than when the Commission reported.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
An intervention is when the MP making a speech is interrupted by another MP and asked to 'give way' to allow the other MP to intervene on the speech to ask a question or comment on what has just been said.
The term "majority" is used in two ways in Parliament. Firstly a Government cannot operate effectively unless it can command a majority in the House of Commons - a majority means winning more than 50% of the votes in a division. Should a Government fail to hold the confidence of the House, it has to hold a General Election. Secondly the term can also be used in an election, where it refers to the margin which the candidate with the most votes has over the candidate coming second. To win a seat a candidate need only have a majority of 1.
