§ Mr. Awberyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why the request of the three seamen's unions of Singapore, for the assistance of Mr. T. A. White, the Colony's Asian adviser, to act as their technical adviser in their recent wage negotiations, was refused, as such assistance would have been invaluable to the unions in arriving at a satisfactory settlement.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe unions were not deprived of the technical advice of Mr. T. A. White, the Seamen's Welfare Officer, on the occasion in question. They were informed that, in accordance with normal practice, Mr. White, who is a Government official, would not be permitted to participate in negotiations on their behalf at the meeting with employers, but that he would be made available at any time for advice provided that it was not in the meeting.