HC Deb 16 February 1960 vol 617 cc1118-9
25. Mr. A. Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the number of refugees that have entered Hong Kong since January, 1959.

Mr. J. Amery

No figures are available.

Mr. Roberts

Does the Minister realise that saturation point has already been reached in Hong Kong and that this is one of the main factors contributing to cheap labour in that part of the world? Does he not realise that we should know the exact position so that remedial measures may be taken?

Mr. Amery

We are well aware of the problem, but it is extremely difficult to control immigration into Hong Kong and almost impossible to get accurate figures of the position.

Mr. J. T. Price

If the authorities in Hong Kong are unaware of the extent of the influx of refugees—in other words, they do not know the population of Hong Kong—how can the Hong Kong Government set about the task of arranging proper social services, labour standards and protective legislation, for which my hon. Friend the Member for Farnworth (Mr. Thornton) was ridiculed in this House when he came back with his shocking report some months ago?

Mr. Amery

The hon. Member must realise that there is a good deal of fluctuation in all this and that our statistics are naturally invalidated by the flow of immigration.