33.
asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies on what grounds a deputation composed of the hon. Members for Flint, East, Oldham, West, Rugby, Bristol, Central, and Eton and Slough, and Mbiyu Koinange and Achieng Oneko, representing the Kenya African Union was refused by the Minister of State.
The Minister of State is always happy to see hon. Members. He did not refuse on this occasion, but preferred to meet them after his return from East Africa when he would be in a better position to discuss the problem. The Minister was not prepared to see the two delegates from the Kenya African Union—since, as he explained at the time, he thought it unsuitable that he should consult representatives of any particular race or party in Kenya on the eve of his departure for East Africa.
I appreciate that the Minister was ill while in Kenya, but is it a fact that he was not able to see the representatives either of the major African organisations or the major Indian organisations? In view of that fact, is the Minister now prepared to meet not only the Members of Parliament but the delegations from Kenya?
The Minister will always be prepared to meet Members of Parliament, but he must retain discretion about which delegations he meets and judge whether they are representative or not.