X
RE
REMS.
233 4377
IN
10. 01
24 FEB 1977
W L Thomas Esq
Secretary
Stockton & Thornaby Trades Council
3 Thornfield Close
Eaglescliffe Stockton-on-Tees
FKK 210/1
23 February 1977
15
I have been asked to reply to your letter addressed to the Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary concerning the resolution passed by your Trades Council on the export of toys from Hong Kong.
Last December Mr Parry, Labour MP for Scotland Exchange Division in Liverpool, put down a number of Parliamentary Questions on this subject. I enclose copies of the extracts from Hansard which your Trades Council may like to see. I should draw particular attention to the fact that the employment of children under the age of 14 in industrial establishments in Hag Kong is illegal and that labour inspectors make regular visits to factories to ensure that the law is enforced.
It is recognised, however, that if the problem of illegal employment of children is to be dealt with satisfactorily there must be an improvement in educational facilities. The Hong Kong Government plan to meet this need by an expanded education programme which is designed to raise the school leaving age for all to 15 by 1980.
In recent years there has been steady progress in Hong Kong in improving the terms and conditions of employment, particularly ff young persons. To give a few examples: an Apprenticeship Ordinance was brought into force last year to ensure that apprentices_ are properly trained and fairly treated; the number of statutory public holidays a year has been increased from six to tea with effect from 1 January this year; and the number of compulsory rest days has been increased from four a month to one a week, again with effect from the beginning of this year, in order to ensure that every worker has at least one day off a week. At the same time,
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