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(B) CLOSURE OF THE SMALL FACTORY WITH SUBSEQUENT DISAPPEARANCE OF
THE PROPRIETOR.
(C) LACK OF EVIDENCE OF PROVEN AGE.
3.
IN RESPONSE TO LORD BROCKWAY'S QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER, THE FOLLOWING MATERIAL IS PROVIDED:
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT CHILD LABOUR IN HONG KONG IS ON THE INCREASE. ON THE CONTRARY, PARAGRAPH 2 ABOVE INDICATES THAT THE PREVALENCE OF CHILD LABOUR HAS DECREASED AT LEAST SINCE 1973 AND HAS REMAINED STATIC IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
4. WE ARE NOT SURE FROM WHAT SOURCE THE ALLEGATION OF TRIAD SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT IN THE RECRUITMENT OF CHILD LABOUR EMANATES. IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ARTICLE IN A H.K. POST-SECONDARY COLLEGE PERIODICAL. IF SO, THIS SURVEY WAS APPARENTLY CONDUCTED IN ONLY 10 FACTORIES OUT OF A TOTAL OF 33,500 INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS AND CAN HARDLY BE CONSIDERED REPRESENTATIVE. THE R.H.K. POLICE HAVE TO DATE RECEIVED NO COMPLAINT OF ORGANIZED TRIAD SOCIETY INVOLVEMENT IN RECRUITING CHILD LABOUR.
5. THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S INSPECTORATE REGULARLY INSPECTS AND INVESTIGATES ANY ILLEGAL PRACTICE OR VIOLATION OF THE REGULATIONS REGARDING THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, YOUNG PERSONS AND CHILDREN. IN RECENT YEARS, THESE INSPECTIONS HAVE BEEN STEPPED UP, DURING 1975, A TOTAL OF 110,457 ROUTINE INSPECTION VISITS WERE MADE AT VARIOUS TIMES OF DAY AND NIGHT TO FACTORIES FOR THIS PURPOSE. IN ADDITION, SPECIAL CAMPAIGNS ARE MOUNTED FROM TIME TO TIME, ON THE AVERAGE OF THREE A YEAR, IN WHICH NOT LESS THAN 5,000 FACTORIES WERE INSPECTED IN THE COURSE OF A FEW DAYS. 13,300 SPECIAL VISIT WERE MADE UNDER THIS CATEGORY. WHILE THE FACTORIES ARE SELECTED ON A RANDOM BASIS, THE SELECTION IS ALSO SLANTED TOWARDS THOSE INDUSTRIAL SECTORS OR INDUSTRIES WHERE THERE IS A GREATER LIKELIHOOD OF ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN. DURING THE MOST RECENT CAMPAIGN, CARRIED OUT BETWEEN 24TH AND 26TH FEBRUARY 1976, SURPRISE VISIS WERE MADE BY LABOUR INSPECTORS TO OVER 5,458 FACTORIES, ONLY 27 WERE FOUND TO
BE ILLEGALLY EMPLOYING A TOTAL OF 28 CHILDREN UNDER 14 YEARS.
6. SUSTAINED EFFORTS ARE MADE TO STAMP OUT CHILD LABOUR AND TO PROSECUTE OFFENDERS. THESE EFFORTS WILL CONTINUE.
ROBERTS
FILES
PARL UNIT
HKD OLA
PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS
MR MALE
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