WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 1978
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QUERY ON STATEMENT BY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDUSTRY
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON. NEIL HENDERSON, SAID TODAY THAT THE REMARKS MADE BY THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDUSTRY IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON JULY 24 THAT HONG KONG WORKERS WERE GROSSLY EXPLOITED SHOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS A CONSIDERED STATEMENT OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS.
HE ALSO SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO THE STATEMENT.
MR. HENDERSON WAS REPLYING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. LYDIA DUNN WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THE STATEMENT BY THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDUSTRY THAT HONG KONG WORKERS WERE GROSSLY EXPLOITED AND THAT HONG KONG HAD NEITHER HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK LEGISLATION NOR AN EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
MISS DUNN ALSO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD LODGE THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE PROTEST WITH THE U.K. GOVERNMENT AND EXPRESS HONG KONG'S RESENTMENT OVER THE UNJUSTIFIABLE STATEMENT.
MR. HENDERSON IN HIS REPLY ALSO SAID THAT THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE DID NOT IN FACT SUGGEST THAT HONG KONG HAD NO HEALTH AND SAFETY OR EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION.
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UNOFFICIALS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER STATEMENT BY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDUSTRY
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THE
SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HON. SIR SZE-YUEN CHUNG, TODAY EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER A STATEMENT BY THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDUSTRY THAT WORKERS IN HONG KONG ARE GROSSLY EXPLOITED AND HIS IMPLICATION THAT HONG KONG HAS NEITHER HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK LEGISLATION NOR AN EMPLOYMENT PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
SIR SZE-YUEN SAID: IT IS QUITE AMAZING AND IN FACT A PITY THAT SUCH A BASELESS AND UNJUSTIFIED STATEMENT AND IMPLICATION COULD HAVE BEEN MADE BY A SENIOR OFFICIAL OF HMG ABOUT A DEPENDENT TERRITORY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, +
HE SAID HE WAS PLEASED TO LEARN FROM THE GOVERNMENT'S REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. LYDIA DUNN EARLIER THAT IT HAS DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF HMG TO THE STATEMENT.
/HL EMPHASIS♫0 .............