asked the Minister of Labour which associations of employers and workers accepted his invitation to send representatives to the second African Regional Conference of the International Labour Organisation which opened at Addis Ababa on 30th November.

The British Employers' Confederation and the Trades Union Congress were invited to appoint representatives to a full tripartite delegation to this conference. The B.E.C. accepted this invitation but the T.U.C. did not. In these circumstances, it was decided to send an observer delegation instead. The B.E.C. did not wish to join such a delegation. I understand that the T.U.C. would have done so but found it impracticable to send anyone.

In view of recent developments, will the Minister take steps to assert the right of free association of employers' organisations and trade unions in communist-controlled areas such as Tanzania?

I am not sure what that means. All I can say is that the T.U.C. and the B.E.C. did not see fit to join in an observer delegation.