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Question:
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[LORD BROCKWAY.] construction are an example. Human rights are denied, as a report to the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations by distinguished citizens showed, There is an agreement with the Chinese to control illegal immigration, but what is to happen to the 22,000 boat people from Vietnam who are now living in camps and who are allowed six-and-a-half square feet of space per person?
Those are some of the many problems in undemo- cratic Hong Kong. Some are outside internal res- ponsibility; most are the consequence of an undemo- cratic society, which is maintained because of the | different régime in China. I do not base
my indictment on criticism of those responsible for the Administra- tion, but on the undemocratic system of administration itself.
And I seriously ask whether we should continue to be responsible for conditions which deny all our values of liberty, as we shall be compelled to do if we maintain the status quo, the present relationship, with China.
Therefore I suggest that this colossal dilemma requires immediate consideration by the best minds at our disposal. Do we withdraw in 1997, or should we maintain a régime which is alien to all our concep- tions of liberty? It is an immense issue, but we are rich in ability and in experience, and we have in our present Foreign Secretary, the noble Lord, Lord Carrington, a man of reconciliatory and constructive approach.
We recently sent to Hong Kong 14 parliamentary representatives to investigate the operations and living conditions of the armed forces garrisoned there. That was to be welcomed, but as I have indicated, there are much more formidable issues to be resolved. I suggest a high-powered Royal Commission to advise what should be done. I hope that the Government will accept that suggestion.
7.13 p.m.
Lord Goronwy-Roberts: My Lords, we are all very grateful to my noble friend Lord Brockway for raising this Question. This is a matter not only of importance to the wellbeing of the people of Hong Kong, but also of far-reaching importance to the relations between this country and the People's Republic of China, and therefore to the whole balance of future relations between the West and China. So whatever we say or do about Hong Kong has an impact beyond the Crown Colony itself. I am bound to say that while I sympathise very strongly, as I always do, with my noble friend's passionate convictions about the need to improve the lot of the people in our few remaining dependencies, frankly in what he said I did not re- cognise a complete and true picture of what Hong Kong is like today. I was the Minister responsible for our relations with China and with Hong Kong, and as my noble friend Lord Rhodes-who has worked so hard and contributed so much to Anglo-Chinese understanding—will readily agree, it is impossible to talk about Hong Kong without weighing very carefully the facts, the figures and the reality of what has been done in Hong Kong, what is being done in Hong Kong, and what needs to be done in Hong Kong.
We could all agree that much remains to be done in Hong Kong, as indeed in a great many parts of Europe
Hong Kong
10%
and beyond the Urals, but in all fairness we must agre agree that a tremendous amount has already been do in Hong Kong, especially during the last crucial deca- I pay tribute at once to that great Pro-Consul, Murray MacLehose, whose leadership and wisdom h stood the people of Hong Kong in great stead, a whose action has always been dictated by the need maintain a balance of understanding, indefinable is real, between us and the People's Republic.
The story of Hong Kong is in fact one of unic achievement, especially in the four major social arc- improving social conditions, in particular in housing ---and I propose to give a few details about what i been done regarding housing in Hong Kong; improvi labour conditions; maintaining and expanding emplo ment; and eradicating corruption. All of that been achieved despite the extraordinary difficult: which face its people and its Government My nol friend was fair enough to refer to those difficultic .. and indeed they are mountainous.
Of course, the basic problem has always been th of a rapidly rising population in a tiny land area, with today over 5 million people occupying only 400,0!** square miles. It is almost as though the population of Scotland were crammed into the county of Surre In fact Hong Kong is one of the most densely populate territories in the world, if not the most densely pop. lated territory among the other most densely populat....! territories. Morcover, what land there is is unprodu. tive mountain land. Only a tenth of it is farmed, is capable of being farmed, and its mineral wealth almost negligible.
Nevertheless the present Government in Ho Kong, the present system in Hong Kong, has assemble a workforce numbering 24 million people. Its unen ployment is actually lower than that of most of t developed countries of the West. It may be rising but in what country is it not rising during a perics. of deep recession? Its gross domestic product, it. fixed capital formation, its attraction of investmen its overseas trade, its wage levels, and its social servic: have shown substantial increases over the testing yea.. of the past decade. We should always remember and here again my noble friend was fair enough t draw our attention to the point-that Hong Kong ha had to cope not only with a rapidly rising population but also with large-scale incursions of illegal immigrant, I recall dealing with this problem when I was a Minister In one year it reached the figure of 100,000; the addin of 100,000 new mouths to feed, new hands to emplo new persons to house, to an already burgeonin population; but the Government, I believe, cope- extremely well with that terribly difficult situation.
Government expenditure in the four key areas social services--education, medical and health service- social welfare and labour--has increased more than fivefold in the past 10 years. In what other counti in the world can that be said? Whatever may be th system of taxation in Hong Kong, in the past 10 yea: they have contrived to spend five times more on tho: things that I and my noble friend hold most dear education, medical and health services, social welfar and labour.
As I saw for myself when I visited Hong Kong mor than once, the progress made in housing and rehousin' the teeming millions has been nothing less than spec
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