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our aim is merely to have simultaneous translation in Urban Council meetings, we are surely overestimating the importance of our meetings in the eyes of the general public. Without minimizing the problems involved, especially in law, I would like to mention that by introducing one school certificate with equal emphasis on Chinese and English, and with the option of taking the same examinations in English or Chinese, many of the frustrations of the students will be met. By making more use of Chinese in the lower courts, especially where accused persons have no legal representation, there may be a slightly better chance of justice being dispensed. There are other areas in which immediate action can be taken to improve the channels of justice for the vast majority of those whose mother-tongue is Chinese.

Now, many labour complaints have come to me, so I would like to mention Labour Legislation; Recent disputes in the field of labour have highlighted the powerlessness of labour laws. While theoretically pretending to accept the principle of Trade Unions, the Labour Depart- ment is not empowered to take any action against employers who sack union members on flimsy excuses. On the other hand, if a man does

not join a trade union, when he comes out on strike in a labour dispute he is told that his strike is not a strike but a breach of contract because he is not a union member. To ensure that under no circum- stances can a worker win, the police are always ready to smash up the workers' case and protect the employer. Should the workers take even milder measures, they still cannot win because there is no law to force the employer to enter into discussions. The Labour Department has become only a messenger passing messages from the worker to the employer, and if he wishes the employer may, and often does, ignore the messages.

Unless the Government wants industrial unrest and disturbances, it will have to see that this persecution of union members and their leaders stops. It will have to take action against corrupt union leaders who sell the workers. It will have to compel the employers to enter into arbitration. It will have to recognize the workers' right to go on strike. It will have to stop police intervening on behalf of employers. The time is past when employers could offer slave conditions and meet with no resistance. The time is past when the Government can put all its departments at the service of the employers. Unless the Govern- ment realizes this, it will have to face the consequences in the very near future.

I would like to mention The Anti-Bribery Bill: because, again, it affects our work on this Council. This is another topic about which I should like to voice a warning. I would be the first to support tough measures against bribery. But it rather amuses me to see the Govern- ment pretending to be concerned about corruption when in fact it is

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bringing in this Bill to give a monopoly on corruption to the Police. During the past few years the Government has had a deliberate policy of putting more and more power into the hands of the police, and of deliberately covering up their corruption. I need only mention the blunder of the mini-buses to show how they will do all in their power to hide police corruption in every other sphere. The police are now full of confidence that nothing is going to expose their protection of organized crime of every kind. The new Bill will be their crowning glory, placing not only the public but also the civil service under their control: a police state indeed.

This Bill emphasizes that the giver of the bribe will be prosecuted. This follows the usual lie that Hong Kong people like to give bribes. There are of course rich people who will buy their privileges; but there are also little people who cannot get their rights without paying squeeze, and I have no doubt whatever that these are going to be the small-fry the police will catch under the new Bill.

The Bill also emphasizes action against a false informer. With investigations in the hands of such a corrupt department, it will just be a matter of their own choice as to whether the information will be considered true or false. The result will be exactly what the Govern- ment is aiming at: no one will dare to be an informer in case his information is proved false. Once the Bill is passed, we shall all be silent, and the Government will achieve what it wanted-coverage for corruption.

I would like to mention Hong Kong and Britain: Recent trends make it clear that Britain will not hesitate to sacrifice Hong Kong if that is a condition for entry into the European Economic Community. But what of our Hong Kong money now boosting up Britain's economy? I should like to ask the Financial Secretary to tell us how much money we have in the United Kingdom, and what interest it is making. What is being done with the interest? And what is the money intended for? Why should children here go hungry and without education, and why should people here live in worse conditions than animals through lack of adequate housing, why should widows and handicapped people go short of the necessities of life, while all this money that belongs to Hong Kong lies in London? Civil servants are employed by the public, and if they take away their employers' money they are guilty of embezzlement. Members of the public have not been consulted, indeed, they have not even been told what their money is doing in London, while it is needed here.

And now about Housing: I have just mentioned that people here live in worse conditions than animals. The Government seems to have brought its housing programme to an end, no doubt because it sees little chance of fat profits between now and the end of the century.