HC Deb 05 May 1943 vol 389 cc174-6
70. Mr. Creech Jones

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what are the provisions which the Colonial Governments have been notified are necessary for purposes of Section 1 (2a) of the Colonial Development and Welfare Act, 1940; when were the instructions notifying Colonial Governments of the necessity for those provisions sent; and what are the Colonies whose legislation does not contain these provisions?

Colonel Stanley

Colonial Governments were notified on 12th July, 1941, that for the purposes of Section 1 (2) (a) of the Colonial Development and Welfare Act their legislation should contain provisions corresponding to Sections 2 and 3 of the United Kingdom Trade Union Act, 1871, Sections 3 and 4 (1) of the Trade Disputes Act, 1906, and Section 3 of the Conspiracy Act, 1875, as amended by the Trade Disputes Act, 1906. As the list asked for in the concluding part of the Question is of some length, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Creech Jones

Before any payments are made under the 1940 Act, will my right hon. and gallant Friend get a definite guarantee or assurance from the Colonial Government that such legislation will be enacted, and will he see that as far as possible all the Colonies are brought into line with regard to this Section?

Colonel Stanley

Certainly that is what I hope to do. The statement I am circulating will show the position in those Colonies where the legislation has not yet been enacted.

Following is the statement:

The following are the territories whose legislation does not comply with the provisions specified by me:

(1)Territories wholly or partially in enemy occupation:

British Solomon Islands, Federated Malay States, Gilbert and Ellice Islands, Hong Kong, North Borneo, Sarawak, Straits Settlements, and all the Unfederated Malay States.

(2) Territories who have no trades union legislation:

Bermuda, Gibraltar, Palestine, Somaliland, Tonga and Trans- Jordan.

(Note.—Legislation is, however, being prepared in Gibraltar and Palestine.)

(3) Territories which have trades union legislation which does not comply fully with the requirements of the Colonial Development and Welfare Act:

Bahamas, British Guiana, Ceylon, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Malta, Mauritius, Nyasaland, Seychelles and Uganda.

(Note.—The necessary amending legislation has been prepared in British Guiana, Dominica and Malta, and I am keeping in touch with the other territories.)