Mr Stewart J. ll. B. Steent
Mr Murray
в
Parliamentary Unit ary/Unit
33
HKK 430/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
-
8 MAY 1978
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
No RS.2v CRE
FLAG A
{(76)
HONG KONG: PQ: MR FRANK HOOLEY
1. I attach a draft reply and background note to the priority written Question put down by Mr Hooley (Labour, Sheffield Heeley) for reply on 4 May.
2. Mr Hooley, who takes an active interest in Hong Kong and is generally critical of the Hong Kong Government, is one of 14 MPs who have taken up the case of the Hong Kong Government shorthand and audio typists. He first wrote to the Secretary of State on 23 September 1977 asking for
AKK 430 comments on a letter he had received from the President
430/1 (1977)
of the Hong Kong Government Shorthand and Audio Typists' Association (SATA). In that letter he put forward the idea that an independent arbitrator might be appointed to resolve the dispute. Mr Stewart put this idea to the Hong Kong Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Bridge, when he visited Hong Kong in October. Mr Bridge agreed to consider it, but he subsequently wrote rejecting the idea on the grounds that to appoint an arbitrator in this particular case might prejudice plans for a major new scheme to deal with labour disputes in the Public Service. He also argued that since 94% of the members of the secretarial class had accepted the Government's proposals,
430/177)it would be inappropriate now to resort to arbitration.
HKK 430
FLAG B
FLAG C
Lord Goronwy-Roberts accepted these arguments, as he informed Mr Hooley on 22 December. Mr Hooley's reply showed that he was not entirely convinced.
1 HKK 430/1 (1477)
13.