1789
Hong Kong
26 APRIL 1967
vessels-civil and military-are quite normal, as it is that foreign nationals should go there for leave and recreation. This is nothing new. It has been the practice for many years for troops from all South-East Asia to use Hong Kong as a leave centre. Because, in the last year or two, United States Servicemen on leave have been so well superintended, disciplined and rich, they have been welcome, and Hong Kong has been in- clined to say, "Come back again."
But Hong Kong is in no way being used as a base by United States forces for military operations against North Vietnam. There are no United States installations or facilities of a warlike sature there and no repair facilities for US. ships have ever been asked for or given. Nor do they receive any other services or facilities than those of normal hospitality for foreign troops arriving on foreign ships. I am watching this closely, but, at the moment, see no reason why this should cause undue alarm in any quarter.
I have not yet been able to visit Hong Kong, but greatly look forward to the pleasure. But my right hon. Friend the Commonwealth Secretary was there only last month, when he discussed many local ssues and saw a good deal of local industry. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, when Colonial Secretary, was there in August and November last year. The Government are, therefore, well aware of Hong Kong's problems and the steps which need to be taken.
To put the matter in perspective, I was going to mention some of the Colony's hievements during the last few years, because we tend to talk much more about problems than about its achievements. la spite of my hon. Friend's criticisms of certain aspects of life there, I think at he is well aware of the tremendous forts of the Government there to cope with the population explosion and the Problems of housing and education. Even ough they have not solved all the problems, they have made tremendous forts to that end and have achieved a preat deal.
In view of the time, I will spend the emaining moments of this debate in Sealing with the central problem of the nstitutional development of Hong Long. We start from a recognition of the fact that Hong Kong is quite
Vol. 745
Hong Kong
1790
different from any other of our Colonies. As I said in a previous debate-and I know that my hon. Friend will disagree with me, but I must express it as my view-because of Hong Kong's special position, it is not possible to think of normal self-government in terms of an elected Legislative Council. But this does not mean that we cannot envisage a considerable and meaningful extension of democracy at the local government level.
In my view, the Report of the Work- ing Party on Local Administration, pub- lished in February, to which my hon. Friend referred, is of immense value. It is an excellent outline of the possibilities that are open for a decisive advance in local government in Hong Kong, in terms. of functions and of democratic participa- tion. I was impressed when I read the Report because it is clear that the Work- ing Party has looked in depth at patterns of local government in Britain and else- where which might be helpful in finding the right solutions for the special con- ditions of Hong Kong.
Frankly, I believe it to be one of the best dissertations on local government in general and I am sure that my hon. Friend will agree that the great depth of its analysis of what happens in Britain and elsewhere and what the possibilities may be is extremely interesting. At the same time, the Working Party has drawn attention to the special needs and peculiarities of the Hong Kong situation. It draws special attention to the fact that out of a population of just under 4 million people, 3 million live in built- up areas adjacent to the harbour, embracing the conurbation of Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Kowloon with very high population densities. It points out that although Hong Kong is a small place, in some of the urban areas the population density is as high as 5,000 persons per acre, among the highest in the world, while, at the same time, the population includes many differing groups of Chinese as well as other races.
The Report considers the types of local authorities which might be established and the criteria which might govern their establishment. It is not an easy matter, for in spite of its small size, it comprises several distinct component parts and these could not be fitted into the pattern applicable to England and Wales. The Report suggests that there might be three
2 F 4
}