§ 20. Mr. Shepherdasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what assistance was given by the Hong Kong Government to the Permanent Secretary to the Board of Trade when he recently visited Hong Kong for the purpose of negotiating with the cotton industry; and whether he will give an assurance that effective assistance will be accorded to any future negotiators, and in particular that the Government of Hong King will use its best endeavours to ensure that bodies fully representative of the island's industry will be made available for discussions.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe purpose of Sir Frank Lee's visit was to have exploratory discussions with representatives of the Hong Kong cotton industry to see whether they would be willing to enter into a voluntary scheme for the limitation of exports to the United Kingdom. He was given every assistance by the Hong Kong Government in making contacts with representatives of the local industry. Similar assistance would be given to any future negotiators. The answer to the last part of the Question is in the affirmative.