La Mr. Ernest Thornton (Farnworth): To ask the
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he is aware of representations being made to the Government of Hong Kong with a view to amending the labour laws so as to permit the employment of women and young persons in textile factories; and if he will give an undertaking that he will withhold his consent to such amendment of the law in the colony.
14th February, 1969
No. 66
MR. WILLIAM WHITLOCK
My honourable Friend is presumably referring to recent representations about the employment of women and young persons on night work. This is prohibited by Regulations made under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance, but under Section 7(4) of that Ordinance the Commissioner of Labour has power to exempt any industrial undertaking from compliance with the Regulations. No legislation is therefore required to introduce any relaxation of this general prohibition.
Past requests for relaxation have been refused. The current proposals are for a limited relaxation in selected textile factories. They have been discussed in Hong Kong with my Labour Adviser: we await his report and the views of the Hong Kong Government.
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