TNAG-0326-FCO40-362-Appointments-to-membership-of-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Ko-1972 — Page 174

Oral Answers

15 MAY 1972

Sir J. Langford-Hold: As these 96 items represent over 50 per cent. of Hong Kong's trade with Japan, will my hon. Friend assure me that in his forthcoming visit to Tokyo his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will point out to the Japanese that they cannot expect all countries to adopt a liberal attitude to- wards Japanese exports when they thein- selves refuse to be liberal?

Mr. Kershaw: I am obliged to my hom. Friend. We take the view that the Hong Kong people are being unfairly dis- criminated against. Japan holds one- quarter of Hong Kong's entire import market and is running a trading surplus with the colony of well over £200 mil- lion a year.

Oral Answers

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velopment as we know it in other terri- tories is not open to Hong Kong..

Mr. Blaker: Will my hon. Friend tell us how many industrial workers were in the last Labour Cabinet?

Mr. Kershaw : Not without a great deal of research which I should find rather tedious.

Mr. Foley: Would the Minister des- cribe the Executive Council of Hong Kong as being fully representative? What steps is he taking to make sure that it represents the totality of the people who live and work there and give it its existence?

Mr. Kershaw: It is of course the aim of the representation on these various councils that it should be representative. As the hon. Gentleman knows, there will

Mr. Blaker: I welcome the fact that my hon. Friend has said that this matter will be taken up again with the Japan-be a further choice of representatives for ese. Is my hon. Friend aware that there will be a great deal of support in the House for vigorous representations to be made to the Japanese Government?

Mr. Kershaw: Yes, Sir. It is cur hope that these further discussions will lead to a satisfactory outcome.

Hong Kong

2. Mr. Lamond asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the members of the Hong Kong Executive Council or Legislative Council are industrial workers.

Mr. Kershaw: On the Executive and Legislative Councils there are no indus- trial workers in the sense of manual workers, although industry and commerce are well represented.

Mr. Lamond: Would it not be fair and just if the 4 million ordinary working people in Hong Kong had some repre- sentation on these Legislative and Exccu- tive Councils as a first step towards the creation of a proper, democratically elected governing body for this Crown colony for which we are responsible?

Mr. Kershaw: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that Hong Kong is run through a complex pattern of statutory boards, councils and committees. Ол those which are concerned with industrial employees, workers sit as individuals and representatives of trade unions. As the hon. Gentleman knows, constitutional de-

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the Executive and other Councils on 30th June. No doubt the Governor will bear in mind what the hon. Gentleman has said.

Rhodesia

3. Mr. Robert Hughes asked the Secre- tary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Affairs if he will now invite Bishop Muzorewa and representatives of the African National Council to visit London for talks on constitutional proposals for Rhodesia.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. Joseph Godber): My right hon. Friend saw a delegation from the African National Congress on 3rd May and I myself saw Bishop Muzorewa on an earlier visit.

Mr. Hughes: As a result of these recent discussions, do the Minister and his right hon. Friend now accept and understand that there can be no honourable and peaceful settlement in Rhodesia unless the African people of Rhodesia are freely and directly brought into the negotiations?

Mr. Godber: We understand the view of the African National Council on this and other matters. One reason for estab- Eishing the Pearce Commission was to make sure that we were fully appraised of the views of the African people as a whole.

6. Dr. Marshall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth

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