§ 20. Mr. Brockwayasked the Minister of Labour what action has been taken by the International Labour Office arising from Ghana's complaint of the use of slave labour in Angola.
§ Mr. HareThe I.L.O. has set up a Commission to examine the complaint made by the Government of Ghana that the Government of Portugal are not observing the Abolition of Forced 16 Labour Convention in Angola and Mozambique.
§ Mr. BrockwayHas the Minister seen the reports by Baptist missionaries and others of how thousands of Africans over a period of years have been kidnapped from their villages for forced labour, not only in the public service, but on sugar, sisal and other private plantations? Can he give us an assurance that the Government representative on the Council of the I.L.O. voted in favour of this investigation?
§ Mr. HareBoth parties were agreeable to setting up the Commission, and no vote was taken at the time.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonWithout asking the Government to interfere in the internal affairs of any country, may I ask my right hon. Friend if it is not the case that there are Arab, African and Communist member States of the I.L.O. and U.N.O. where slavery, the slave trade and forced labour are long-established institutions.
§ Mr. PrenticeWill the Minister confirm that this country has ratified the I.L.O. Convention against forced labour? In view of that, will he give the House an assurance that the United Kingdom delegate will continue to vote for the most stringent degree of investigation in this case and that the British attitude will not be in any way confused or ambiguous, as our attitude has been on other issues affecting Angola?
§ Mr. HareThe whole point is that the I.L.O. has agreed to set up a Commission. The Commission has been constituted. It hopes to have a report ready for the November meeting of the governing body of the I.L.O. The Commission is there to do its job, and until the report is available we do not want to ask too many hypothetical questions.