Mr. David Adamsasked the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance, 1926, of Trinidad, do not apply to agricultural workers, shop assistants, clerical and domestic workers, and that the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance, 1941, of St. Lucia, excludes domestic and clerical workers and shop assistants; and whether he will take steps to amend these Ordinances, so as to bring within their provisions the above-named classes of workers?
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§ Mr. Harold MacMillanYes, Sir. With regard to agricultural workers, I would point out that the Trinidad Ordinance does, in fact, cover workers engaged in the more dangerous occupations, i.e., those whose employment is connected with any engine or machine worked by mechanical power, and the same observation applies to the legislation enacted by other West Indian Colonies. The desirability of bringing agricultural workers generally within the scope of the Workmen's Compensation Ordinances has been represented on several occasions to the West Indian Governments during the last few years, and has been under consideration recently by several of them. Agricultural workers generally are now protected by amending legislation passed in the Leeward Islands, St. Vincent and St. Lucia.