impossible. (17) Various legislative changes have been introduced since the first public airing of the problem including extending
the present ban on industrial work for children to non-industrial work (shops, offices, restaurants etc.) and raising the age limit to 15 years, by 1980. (18) The number of free secondary school places has been increased and it is said that such education will be made compulsory. Careful examination of the past, however, reveals a reluctance to take the matter seriously, except in the interests of public relations. For example, the Director of Education already possesses the power to enforce primary
education. A Parliamentary reply revealed that in 1977 an estimated 6,300 children of primary school age might not be attending school. (19) Another question asked in Parliament revealed that although the Director possesses such powers, he makes little use of them. A total of two cases have been prosecuted since 1971 although it was said that 10,999 investigations were made in 1977/78 alone. (20) A factor which implies that legislation exists for appearances' sake rather than as an enforced deterrent, is seen in the attitude of the courts. Firstly, the maximum fine available to the courts was $5,000 until 1977 when it was raised to $10,000 (approx. £1,000). The average for fines imposed by the courts is much lower: HK$289('74),$332('75),$ 543('76). (21) When the maximum fine was imposed on a factory in 1969, a factory with previous convictions for child labour, in a case where 12 year olds were found at work in a jeans workshop at 9.15 p.m., the Hong Kong Supreme Court overruled the magistrate and reduced the fine by 90% saying that the fines were "inordinately and unjustifiably severe." (22) A call in Parliament for a
statutory minimum fine fixed at a high level was refused by a Foreign Office spokesman in March 1979. Although official figures up to the latest date are not available at the time of
writing, average fines appear to be in the region of HK$1,000 per child (i.e. about £100). (23) There are no provisions in
the legislation for heavier punishment than fines, even for
the worst cases.