Mr. Stonehonse:

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will make a statement on the proposed development of the Kafue Flats in Northern Rhodesia.

As my hon. Friend informed the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. J. Hynd) on 14th April, 1959, the pilot scheme is still in its earliest experimental stage. The future development of the area cannot be decided before a fair assessment of the results of the pilot scheme is available.

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that this is a most exciting prospect of economic development in the Protectorate and that most of the capital resources required are available within the Protectorate itself? Will he consider in the development of the scheme the importance of co-operative farms and set up a public corporation to assist these developments?

I will look at those various points. It is an interesting scheme indeed, and we should be grateful to the Rhodesia Selection Trust which, through a subsidiary company, is financing the pilot scheme.