18. Mr. Creech Jonesasked the Under secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Government is satisfied with the draft Workmen's Compensation Ordinance in Nigeria and when is it proposed to enact it; and whether, on enactment, immediate steps will be taken to bring the Ordinance into operation?
§ Mr. George HallThe reply to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second, the Governor of Nigeria informed my Noble Friend last month that the Bill was presented to the Legislature in January and was referred to a Select Committee, and that he had every hope that it would be possible to enact this legislation at the next meeting of the Legislative Council. Further inquiry regarding the position is being made. With regard to the concluding part of the Question, assuming that the Bill is enacted at the time mentioned by the Governor, it is anticipated that it should be possible to bring the Ordinance into operation early next year.
Mr. Creech JonesIn view of the very long time that this Ordinance has been before the Nigerian Government, will every effort be made to speed up the enactment of the Bill, and also to see that when the Ordinance is put upon the Statute Book it is operated, because there is considerable discussion about delaying tactics?