HKD
140
281
Written Answers
5 MAY 1977
Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report the number of fatal accidents at work in Hong Kong during the past full year to the latest available date on which (a) no claim for compensation was made, and (b) claims were submitted but no award was made.
Mr. Luard: I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given to another of his Questions today.
Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the highest amount awarded in Hong Kong in compensation following a fatal industrial accident; and what were the lowest and average amounts awarded for the last year for which figures are available.
Mr. Luard: The highest amount awarded was SHK60,000-about £7,500. In 1976 the lowest amount awarded was SHK5,000-about £625--and the average amomt awarded was SHK43,053-about £5,382. These amounts were paid under the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance. The workman is also entitled to claim civil damages where the injury is caused by the negligence or other wrongful act of the employer.
Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he now expects to receive the report of the Turner Committee on Hong Kong: and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Luard: Professor Turner's in- quiries have reached an interim stage and my right hon. Friend has decided to ask him to complete his study and to submit a full report at a later date. I cannot yet say when Professor Turner's report will be available.
Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Turner Committee will con- sider and make any recommendations concerning industrial accident compensa- tion in Hong Kong.
Mr. Luard: No. The terms of reference for Professor Turner's study of labour relations in Hong Kong do not embrace the question of compensation for indus- trial accidents.
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Written Answers
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Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to place a copy of the Turner Committee report on Hong Kong in the Library when he receives it.
Mr. Luard: I cannot say whether the report will be placed in the Library until Professor Turner has completed and sub- mitted it.
Solomon Islands
Mr. Hooley asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the present per capita income of the people of the Solomon Islands.
Mr. Luard: According to the latest available estimate, that of the World Bank, GNP per capita in 1974 was US$ 310. This figure is very tentative due to the absence of comprehensive statistics and the difficulty of estimating income in the subsistence sector.
Overseas Representation (Report) Mr. Brocklebank-Fowler asked the Sec- retary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Affairs when he now expects to be able to publish the report of the CPRS on Overseas Representation.
Mr. Tomlinson : Sir Kenneth Berrill hopes to let my right hon. Friend have his report shortly. My right hon. Friend cannot say anything about publication until he has studied the report. But he intends to publish as much of it as pos- sible, and to do so as soon as he can.
Diplomats (Cars)
Mr. George Cunningham asked the Sec- retary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Affairs what would be the approxi- mate reduction in the number of interest- free car loans to members of the Diplo- matic Service if such loans were availablə only on first posting abroad and not on each posting abroad.
Mr. Tomlinson: If car loans were available to members of the Diplomatic Service only on their first posting abroad, and if all such officers applied for loans, the total number of loans outstanding at any one time would be in the region of 500. This compares with the figure of 864 loans actually outstanding on 28th February 1977, which I gave my hon. Friend in my reply on 15th March. I should make it clear that car loans are at
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