CHILD LABOUR IN HONG KONG
18.
I would refer to the replies that my hon Friend the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs gave to my hon Friend the Member for
Liverpool, Scotland Exchange Division (Mr Parry) on 8 December.
The Hong Kong Government are committed to the elimination of
illegal employment of children below the age of 14 and to the
abolition of overtime working for young persons aged 16 and 17
by four annual stages up to the end of 1979.
SOCIAL WELFARE
19. The Governor of Hong Kong announced, at the opening of the Current [session of the Legislative Council, a new scheme for the payment
of public assistance to unemployed able-bodied persons under 55,
the preparation of new plans for services to the handicapped,
elderly and youth, and a comprehensive new social welfare
programme to be completed by about the end of 1977 for phased
implementation starting in 1978.
HEALTH
I
20. I would refer to the reply that my hon Friend the
Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth
Affairs gave to my hon Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr Ron
Lewis) on 28 February [that, inter alia, the ratio of hospital
beds per 1,000 head of population had increased to 4.34 by the
end of 1976].