NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
3
CONFIDENTAL
Why
not?
14 Hồng Kong and the United Kingdom..
But he was
presumably right in thinking that there was a greater
gap in social services and education. Sir David Trench
agreed. Some things were impossible, for instance
contributory pension schemes could not be accepted in
absence
Hong Kong due to the business of long term security.
Hong Kong's medical schemes were cheaper than those in
Britain. Shall contributions to the health service and
to schooling did no harm. There was no taxation
specifically for education. On education the problem
was that one in four of the population were being
educated; 40% of the population/were under 15.
12. Mr. Stewart said that on labour legislation he under-
stood that there was a case for greater penalties
for infringements.
Sir David Trench explained that the
Government could not get the courts to impose the
maximum fines, which were adequate. Mr. Roberts explained
that the courts acquitted people rather than applying
minimum fines. The Government had not had much success
in persuading the courts to increase penalties.
perhaps 13. Mr. Stewart said that labour conditions were/some-
thing that the Communists might exploit. Sir David
Trench pointed out that since they were better than in
China there was a limited field for this. Sir John
Cowperthwaite pointed out that labpur legislation was
not popular with the workers themselves who wanted to be
free to make as much money as they could. Rules against
night work for women had been unpopular. Fortunately
legislation was coming at a time of rising wages.
Sir David Trench pointed out that it was very difficult
to police the legislation.
place in smaller factories.
Most infringements took
In general Hong Kong's
Labour legislation was not in any way out of dak
Corruption
14. Mr. Stewart said that he understood that the Hong
/Kong