COMMONS DEBATE ON GROUNDNUTS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26353, 22 February 1951, Page 7

COMMONS DEBATE ON GROUNDNUTS

Minister Fails To Appear

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 21. Opposition cries of “Shame” greeted the Minister of War (Mr J. Strachey) when he took his seat at the end of the groundnuts debate in the House of Commons after an angry scene during the wind-up speech by Mr Lennox Boyd (Conservative). Mr Strachey had made no attempt to reply to criticisms of his part in

the East African groundnuts scheme, for which he assumed responsibility when he was Minister of Food. Mr Boyd began his speech by saying he had given notice to Mr Strachey of the criticism which he would make, yet there was no sign of Mr Strachey. Again and again Mr Boyd postponed his criticism until he had little time left. Conservatives Shouted, “Where is the Minister of War?” and Mr Boyd.had to complete his speech without Mr Strachey’s presence. Just as he sat down, Mr Strachey entered the House and took his seat on the front bench. The Conservatives shouted angry protests, which finally grew to one long shout of "Shame.” Mr Boyd said the House could forgive Mr Strachey his original enthusiasm for the scheme, but what it could not forgive was that when the whole terrifying story began to unfold and Mr Strachey knew about it, he went on making enthusiastic utterances. This had resulted in the writing off of £36.000.000 of the taxpayer's money. “This loss is greater than four years’ total revenue of Tanganyika and equal to 19 years’ expenditure of the development and welfare fun for the whole colonial Empire." he said. "We regard it as criminal mismanagement.” The Colonial Secretary (Mr James Griffiths), replying for the Government, said ths Opposition was hunting for scapegoats. “The venomous, spiteful attacks upon Mr Strachey made me croud of the fact I belong to the miners and not to the gentlemanly party.” H» added that the admitted failure of the scheme might prove to be a tragedv ■'or Tanganyika but to abandon it would be to go against the wishes of Tanganyika, and would be calamitous. If the scheme were abandoned now it would involve spending £4,500,000 in compensation.