MR. MAXWELL : Would my hon. Friend consider that whereas the present manifestations and demonstations were only a try-out, if she and her Department will do nothing to reorganise local government in order to enable the people, through political expression, to support the Governor and orderly government, we are likely to land ourselves into the kind of trouble which we may not be able to hold without a considerable amount of bloodshed and threat to the peace of the world?
MRS. HART: Without discussing the merits of the arguments that my hon. Friend has put forward, I will counsel him to read the Adjournment debate a month or so ago because as he will see there, I expressed very clearly the fact that we welcomed the publication of the report of the local government inquiry in Hong Kong. We are now waiting to see what the local reactions are, and we are very much hoping that something can be done along those lines.
SIR D. WALKER-SMITH: Can the hon. Lady say what steps are being taken to prevent any repetition of the dangerous and improper use of the headquarters of the Communist Bank of China for incitement, following the occasion on which it evidently did much to increase the difficulties of the police and the authorities, to whom I would like to join in paying tribute?
MRS. HART: May I say that I know how very much the tributes that have been paid to police and to the Governor on all sides of the House will be appreciated in Hong Kong. As to the involvement of the Bank of China, the Governor has certain powers to deal as he thinks best with a matter of this kind. One of the most effective things that he did was to counter the propaganda from the Bank of China by what he called "light-hearted Chinese music". We must leave it to the Governor to exercise his discretion, knowing that he has powers to do whatever is necessary to be effective.
MR. CHARLES FLETCHER-COOKE: Would the hon. Lady, besides stimulating further legislation in the labour sphere, have a look at the educational and youth services areas?
Is she aware that a great number of the rioters leave school at the age of 12 and that, by existing legislation, they are not allowed to work until they are 16? Therefore, they have four years with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Is she aware that this is an expensive situation which requires attention, perhaps even more so than the labour situation?
MRS. HART: This is indeed a very serious problem, as is housing, which the rt. hon. Member the Leader of the Liberal Party mentioned. We have in Hong Kong the situation of an exploding population, in which tremendous achievements have been made in the last few years, but where, even so, it is difficult to keep up with the needs. Certainly one of the needs if for more educational opportunities for secondary school children. It is a question of buildings and teachers, as elsewhere. This is a very general problem in many parts of the world where one has the effect of a population explosion, The Government in Hong Kong are very much aware of this and are doing their best. I think that they are achieving some remarkable successes in trying to minimise this problem.
/SIR F. BENNETT:
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