§ Mr. Thorntonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to deal with the case of the 15-year-old girl in Hong Kong who has been required to work a 23-hour shift, and a 71½-hour week, for a wage of less than £2, particulars of which have been sent to him by the hon. Member for Farnworth.
§ Mr. WhitlockAn experienced Labour Inspector visited the factory named in the newspaper article but the girl was not known there by management or workers.
§ Mr. Thorntonasked the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made towards an improvement in the labour laws in Hong Kong, particularly with reference to the hours of work of women and young persons.
§ Mr. WhitlockMy noble Friend the Minister of State discussed these problems in Hong Kong last week, and I am able to say that agreement has been reached, with the support of the Hong Kong employers, on the Governor's proposals for a progressive reduction of the hours of work of all women and young persons in industry to a level of 48 hours a week. The period of adjustment will be four years, with a reduction of half an hour yearly beginning in December of this year. Legislation to improve workmen's 409W compensation benefits and security of employment will also be introduced shortly and the review of other labour legislation is being accelerated. Proposals for strengthening the staffing of the Labour Department are also in train.