Kong
raw up programme deficiencies forced past and to do so; iod. As a rough he time-span of
e to the approach se, the governor, social problems, Hong Kong as a -rich society and d the governor's Nation" speech. peech is devoted ial betterment of es in the colony. m plans for hous- ucation, medical well under way. sted to see some- y visit.
e of the biggest achievements in Is been done is but the problems he plans of the look like trans- thin the next 10 know from the lans are affected in trade, which the rest of the
have not been he needs of the The new White hat this will be ans for technical c and industrial couraging and society that can htly maintaining
try.
f the less credit- ong scene would and corruption s being tackled en a real break- for the police. ining have been obilising people each other and e seems full of might well be
3
eless
are still Minister of State sits Hong Kong ng pressure to
Hong Kong
18 DECEMBER 1974
e the death penalty. One cannot e about the deterrent effects of
capital punishment. It differs in varying
societies.
The people of Hong Kong Seem almost unanimous in their belief that it would have a deterrent effect there.
Will the Minister say a word about the mass transit railway?
This has every
prospect of being one of the most remark- able engineering feats in the world. It was, therefore, naturally a disappoint- ment when the contract was not won by the British consortium. The main reason for the success of the Japanese tender was the absence of an escalation clause. This seemed remarkable at the time but quite incredible now in the face of current Japanese inflation. Do the Japanese still If so, maintain their original tender? Hong Kong has certainly got a bargain.
The Minister will find a considerable sense of grievance among textile manu-
facturers regarding the EEC generalised scheme of preferences. A situation in which preferences in the British economy are given to Hong Kong's competitors but not to Hong Kong is quite impossible to explain or to justify. The exclusion of footwear has recently been removed but this is of small importance. I hope that the Government are making a supreme effort to negotiate the inclusion of textiles.
I appreciate that the Minister of State will not be able to deal with all my questions in 10 minutes tonight, but I should be grateful if those he is unable to answer orally could be answered by letter before I go to Hong Kong next month. There will be concern at the prospect of paying a higher share of defence costs, as foreshadowed in the latest defence review. The general general assumption that this is a highly pros- perous community well able to pay out more is not valid in today's conditions. The economy is sound. Indeed, we in this country could take some lessons in how Hong Kong has kept its economy sound in the face of worldwide inflation, short- age of material and depressed export markets. These economic difficulties co- incide with quite exceptional capital expenditure necessary to carry out the social programmes I have mentioned. For these much additional finance by foreign loans and other means will have to be found. Now, therefore, would be a par-
Vol. 883
1778
Hong Kong ticularly unfortunate time to be saddled with a greatly increased defence bill.
I hope that the Minister of State will enjoy his first visit to Hong Kong. I believe that what will impress him most are the people. These people, with their ability, their ingenuity, realism and per- sistence, are the principal asset of Hong Kong. They are the explanation for its success and its hope for the future. 12.53 a.m.
Mr. Philip Goodhart (Beckenham): I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Mem- ber for Howden (Sir P. Bryan) and to the Minister of State for allowing me to intervene in the debate.
I wish to raise the question of the fate of refugees from China in Hong Kong. There have been reports in the Press of an agreement with the Peking Govern- ment that newly-arriving refugees from China who are apprehended by the Hong Kong police are handed back straight
away to the Chinese Communist authori- ties. I know that the flow of refugees causes grave problems for the Hong Kong administration, but as my hon. Friend. rightly reminded us, modern Hong Kong was built by refugees.
I hope that the Minister of State will confirm that we have not agreed auto- matically to hand refugees back for punishment at the hands of the Com- munist authorities from whom they have tried to escape, because such a course is inhuman and contrary to human rights.
12.54 a.m.
Mr. Hal Miller (Bromsgrove and Redditch): As one who has spent half of the last quarter century in the service of the Hong Kong Government, may I urge the Minister to explain to my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Mr. Good- hart) that it was always the practice return illegal during that period to entrants whence they came? There has always been a quota for the entry of
ose of Cantonese origin into Hong Kong as part of the original agreement dating back to the cession of the territory and the lease of it. Will the Minister of State confirm that the community of Hong Kong is in no shape to sustain an uncontrolled volume of immigration because of the great social problems to which my hon. Friend for Howden (Sir P. Bryan) referred?
2 F