§ 1. Mr. Haleasked the President of the Board of Trade, for the twelve months up to the most recent date for which figures are available, and for the period of twelve months immediately preceding, the imports from India and from and via Hong Kong of cotton piece goods computed by measurement.
§ The President of the Board of Trade (Sir David Eccles)Imports from India and Hong Kong were 166 million square yards and 89 million square yards respectively in the year ended 30th April, 1958, compared with 149 million square yards and 59 million square yards in the corresponding period a year earlier. Imports via Hong Kong are not separately distinguished in the Trade Accounts, but re-exports of woven cotton fabrics from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom recorded in the Hong Kong Trade Accounts in the years ended April, 1957, and April, 1958, were negligible.
§ Mr. HaleIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that for seven years now we have been raising this issue, for seven years various Presidents of the Board of Trade have been saying that they were considering what action to take and that for seven years the figures have been going up? Is he further aware that they are now causing grave unemployment in Lancashire, that they represent a grave 576 form of quite unfair competition, and that we are not helping the people of Hong Kong by permitting their employers to employ them for eighty hours a week at low wages? Has not the time come for joint action by the right hon. Gentleman and his right hon. Friend the Colonial Secretary to deal with this very serious matter?
§ Sir D. EcclesThe hon. Gentleman is no doubt aware that negotiations to put a voluntary ceiling on these exports are going on. I can hardly think that it will help labour conditions in Hong Kong if we refuse to buy its production.
§ Mr. JayCan the right hon. Gentleman say what is the latest stage of these negotiations, and whether any progress has been made?
§ Sir D. EcclesWe are still waiting an answer from the Government of Pakistan, or rather the industry of Pakistan.
§ Mr. HaleIs the right hon. Gentleman now enunciating the principle that the employment of slave labour should be preserved by a Tory Government merely because the slave might be worse off if we did not buy the goods? If he applies a condition of that kind, how are we ever to improve conditions in the Colonies?
§ Sir D. EcclesI think that the expression "slave labour" is a reflection on Hong Kong which is not deserved.
§ 9. Sir J. Barlowasked the President of the Board of Trade, in view of the fact that the possibility of an agreement between the United Kingdom cotton industry and the cotton industries of India and Pakistan as to the level of imports from those two countries depends on a limit being placed on imports of cotton goods from Hong Kong, what steps the Government are taking to facilitate an understanding being reached between the United Kingdom and Hong Kong industries.
§ Sir D. EcclesNegotiations between the cotton industries of Lancashire, India and Pakistan have not yet been concluded. The question of further action as regards Hong Kong does not, therefore, arise at present.
§ Sir J. BarlowDoes my right hon. Friend realise the great importance, for 577 Lancashire as a whole, of the early and successful conclusion of these negotiations?
§ Sir D. EcclesI can assure my hon. Friend that the Government are impressing upon the various parties the need for the utmost urgency in concluding these talks.
§ Mr. S. SilvermanIs the Minister aware that the key to any question of voluntary agreement lies in Hong Kong, and that it would be quite unreasonable to expect India and Pakistan to agree to a voluntary limitation if only Hong Kong exporters were to benefit by it? When the right hon. Gentleman says that the Government are doing their best, will he say whether they have been doing their best for seven years—and explain why, in that case, there has been no result? Will he bear in mind that this industry is different from any other industry which is exposed to competition of this kind, in that it is geographically situated in one limited area, and that there is, therefore, no possibility of people who lose their employment finding local employment in other industries?
§ Sir D. EcclesI realise that this is a very serious matter for Lancashire—but it is also a very serious matter that competition comes from within the Commonwealth.
§ 10. Sir J. Barlowasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the higher levels of wages paid in the Hong Kong textile industry apply mainly to the large organised spinning mills, and are higher than those paid in some weaving sheds and by the making-up end of the industry; and whether he will accordingly include finished and made-up cotton textiles from Hong Kong as well as grey cloth in any negotiations for limiting imports into the United Kingdom.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe information at my disposal does not wholly bear out my hon. Friend's statement about wage levels in the Hong Kong industry. The answer to the second part of the Question is that the current negotiations are on an inter-industry basis and their scope is a matter for the parties to them.
The Government's position on this matter was stated in my Answer to Questions on this subject on 3rd April, 1958.
§ Sir J. BarlowDoes my right hon. Friend appreciate the necessity for including made-up goods in any negotiations for the limitation of imports into this country?
§ Sir D. EcclesI fully appreciate the desirability for doing that, but these are voluntary agreements, and it therefore depends upon what the industries concerned are willing to do.
§ 11. Sir A. V. Harveyasked the President of the Board of Trade what weight of cotton yarn has been imported from Hong Kong during the last six months.
§ Sir D. EcclesIn six months ending 30th April, 1958, 1,114 tons.
§ Sir A. V. HarveyCan my right hon. Friend say what negotiations have taken place with the Hong Kong people since the visit of Sir Frank Lee? Can he tell the House what he intends to do about this very serious problem, which is affecting all our constituencies in the North of England?
§ Sir D. EcclesI am not aware that any discussions have taken place about cotton yarn. The figure I gave my hon. friend represents 0.7 per cent. of the United Kingdom production.
§ 14. Mr. H. Hyndasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps he takes to prevent the importation of cotton textiles produced under unfair labour conditions.
§ Sir D. EcclesWhether or not labour conditions are unfair depends on the point of view. If the hon. Member has in mind imports from Asia, cotton textiles from China and Japan are restricted by quota and tariff, but those from Commonwealth countries in Asia are admitted freely.
§ Mr. HyndWhat is the Minister's point of view about the hours of work that were revealed in the House by my hon. Friend the Member for Farnworth (Mr. Thornton) only last week? Would not he regard those conditions as so unfair as to justify special action, at any rate in regard to Hong Kong?
§ Sir D. EcclesThe conditions in the Colony are, of course, a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and I think he did say that a labour law is in preparation.