TNAG-0518-FCO40-613-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 102

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Written Answers

24 FEBRUARY 1975

Local Governmend Employees (Councillors)

Mr. Gwilym Roberts asked the Sec- retary of State for Employment, in the light of evidence supplied to him by the hon. Member for Caunock of the diff- culties experienced by some members of local authorities in obtaining time off work to attend to civic duties, if he will undertake a review of the extent of this problem with a view to recommending à standard code of practice.

Mr. Booth: I do not think that the suggestions made by my hon. Friend would provide a better solution than that which we propose to include in our forth- coming Employment Protection Bill re- quiring employers to permit reasonable time off work for their employees to perform certain public duties, including duties as a member of a local authority.

POREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Hong Kong

Mr. Fletcher-Cooke asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the opera- tion of the citizens' grievances procedure through the unofficial members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council; and it he will make a statement.

Miss Joan Lestor: Yes. The success of the UMELCO office in dealing with complaints is reflected in the growth of the number of complaints it has dealt with annually: 1,200 in 1972, 1,700 in 1973 and 2,800 in 1974.

Mr. Fletcher-Cooke asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the method of nomination of the unofficial members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council; and if he will consider widening the field from which such members are drawn.

Miss Loan Lestor: Yes. The method of nomination of unofficial members to the Legislative Council enables the Coun- all to work effectively for the best interests of Hong Kong. We are, nowever, con- sidering with the Governor the best means of ensuring that all shades of opinion in Hong Kong are effectively expressed in the council.

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New Zealand (Dairy Trade) Mrs. Winifred Ewing asked the Secre tary of State for Foreign and Common. wealth Affairs what dairy trade arrange- ments the Government intend to make with New Zealand.

Mr. Hattersley: None. As part of reacgotiation, we are actively pursuing the question of cominuing access to the Common Market for New Zealand dairy products.

EFTA (Industrial and Regional Policies)

Mr. Roper asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions apply to the industrial, regional, and coal and steel policies of

the EFTA countries under the free trade

agreements they have negotiated with the European Communities, in the light of the declaration made by the Communities; and how far these restrictions differ from those applying to the members of the Communities.

Mr. Hattersley: The agreements be- tween the EFTA countries and the EEC contain provisions specifying that various practices in the field of industrial and regional policy are incompatible with the functioning of the agreements. The stan- dard formulation is that used in Article 23(1) of the agreement between Norway and the EEC (Cind. 5556):

"I. The following are incompatible with the proper functioning of the Agreement in so for as they may affect trade between the Community and Norway:

(i) all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices between undertakings which have as their object or effect the pre- vention, lestriction or distortion of com- petition as regards the production of or trade in goods;

(ii) abuse by one or more undertakings of .a dominant position in the territories of the Contracting Parties as a whole or in a sut- stantial part thereof;

or

(iii) any public aid which distorts threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings of the production of certain goods.

There are identical provisions in the agreements between the EFTA countries --with the exception of Iceland-and the European Coal and Steel Community-- for example, Article 19 of the agreement between Sweden and the ECSC (Cmad. 5657).