HL Deb 14 December 1978 vol 397 cc715-7

11.20 a.m.

The Lord Bishop of GUILDFORD

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in view of the widespread dismay at the stated intention of the South African Government to demolish the Crossroads housing area in Cape Province, and in the light of Clause 5 of the EEC Code of Conduct for Companies with interests in South Africa, they have assurances from British companies working in Cape Province that they have—

  1. (a) ascertained whether any of their employees are living in Crossroads and whether they or their families are threatened with eviction, and
  2. (b) have sought to protect the interests of such employees by the provision of appropriate legal and financial assistance.

The MINISTER of STATE, FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (Lord Goronwy-Roberts)

My Lords, a number of South African subsidiaries of British companies employ people living in Crossroads. The British parent companies are aware of their responsibilities under the Code of Conduct concerning their subsidiary companies' policies regarding accommodation and other living conditions in South Africa. We entirely share the widespread concern about the plight of those who now live in Crossroads and about the threat to their future, and we urge the South African Government to adopt a humane and flexible approach to a problem which arises from their apartheid policies.

The Lord Bishop of GUILDFORD

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his very sympathetic Answer, and am grateful indeed for his expression of sympathy in this matter. May I ask whether the Government intend to press upon firms operating in South Africa that it is only on the basis of the following of the European Common Market Code of Conduct that our continued contribution to the South African economy can be justified?

Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS

Yes, certainly, my Lords. The code, as the right reverend Prelate has reminded us, was adopted unanimously by the Nine and is now being commended to other members of OECD. We have published a White Paper which goes perhaps a little further than the consensus of the Nine in that we have included an annexe of guidance to parent companies, and also an annexe which sets out a report format. We expect every company which has operations in South Africa to report annually to the Department of Trade indicating what they are doing to alleviate, if not to solve, the very real problems arising from the operation of the South African migrant laws. So far I am very glad to say that we have received 120 reports from various companies, and I expect that in due course we shall be assessing the content of these and publishing the results.