Mr Cortazzi
CONFIDENTIAL
A
CRIGINAL COPY ON. NKK 30+15+5/1
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts
HONG KONG: GRANADA TV PROGRAMLE WORLD IN ACTION"
1. The Granada TV series "World in Action" broadcast a pro›rante
on child labour in Hong Kong on 13 December. It was entitled "ude in Hong Kong" and concentrated, seasonably enough, on the toy industry. The department has delayed submitting on this mutter until first reactions to the proɛriume were available.
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2. The general consensus among th● members of the department who watched the film was that while it set out to be highly critical of Hong Kong alleged toleration of illegal child labour by the Government, inadequate fines imposed by the courts for child labour offences, failure to enforce safety measures and to pay proper compensation for industrial injuries etc - was not as damaging as advance information about the proramme had suggested. In a number of instances the film lacked credibility. Thus, for example, pictures of employees arriving for work et a
the factory were taken at long-range since, the viewer was told, cameramen were not allowed near because of "tight security". The floes of some of those interviewed were blacked out because idantification could have led to "fear of reprisals". asserted that camerus had to be concealed in factories in order to outain pictures of children, that children at work were daon in places where they would not be found by visiting 1 bour inspectors, and that arming systems were installed in factories None cese to give notice of impending visits by inspectors. assertions were substantiated. In fact, the programe pro wiced little evidence of child labour in industriel establishments: there were two scanes only of children at work in factories. It was not stated that the children in question were below the age of 14, the legal limit for employment in industrial establishments. On the other hand, there were a number of pictures
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CONFIDENTIAI