CODE 16-77
393/11
Reference....
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Mr Duffy HKD
1. At the second meeting of the Hong Kong Standing Committee to monitor the Planning Paper, a brief mention was made of a report on the HK Labour Department's Factory Inspectorate prepared by r Linehan, a member of HMFI in this country. At my request, Mr Linehan has been to see me to discuss his stay in Hong Kong and to give me the attached copy of his report.
2. I don't think you need study the report's contents in detail at this stage but we should keep in mind two points made to me by Mr Linehan. First, there is a need to improve the quality of the Factory Inspectorate and, second, there should be a more effective training programme as a means to this end.
3. I subsequently made enquiries as to the qualifications required for attendance at the courses in factory safety and hygiene arranged in the UK by the University of Aston. (Rather to my surprise, I discovered that no Hong Kong factory inspectors had ever applied for training)
4.
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With the assistance of Mr Glynn, Employment Adviser at the ODM, I have obtained the attached particulars in respect of the Aston University courses and it seems to me that the qualifica- tions required for new appointments to the post of Assistant Factory Inspector would qualify them for admission to the six-month. Certificate course. Unless you see any objection, I will write demi-officially to Mr Frice, the Labour Commissioner in Hong Kong, to give him this information about the Aston University courses and ask whether he would see value in the Hong Kong Government nominating candidates for the Certificate courses at that Government's expense. Mr Glynn tells me that such applications would be well received by the course organisers.
5. Please return the attachments to me in due course. There are other points in the report which I would like to discuss with Mr Price when he pays his regular annual visit to us in the middle of the year.
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24 February 1977
Encs.
HR G Hurst Overseas Labour Adviser
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