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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 25 May 1988
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER: Sir, we have from time to considered this idea which, as Mr. TAM says, has been tried elsewhere. It is an idea on which opinions are very divided. The general impression we have had from talking to people involved in the employment of disabled people in those countries which use such a system has been rather unfavourable. Several problems arise. One is that employers, in practice, seem to be able to evade such legislation very easily and the net result tends to be negative. Because of this kind of legislation, employer attitudes tend to become very negative and those trying to find jobs for disabled people find their work actually gets more difficult. as a result. Because of this kind of feedback, we have so far not followed this particular course.
MR. POON CHI-FAI (in Cantonese): Sir, will the Government inform this Council of the success rate of finding jobs for the disabled people? Does the Civil Service give priority to disabled people in posts for which they are suitable?
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER: Sir, the only figures we have on success rates are the Labour Department's Selective Placement Service figures of registrations, vacancies and placements. I, personally, do not regard this as a very reliable indication of success but, for what they are worth, the figures for 1987 were a total of 4 000 job vacancies registered with the Selective Placement Division, a total of 1 900 people registering, and a total of 1 030 placements. The reason why I am skeptical of these kind of figures as an indication of success is that the figures could actually get worse if you are successful, rather than better, in the sense that, if you are very successful, you will encourage more people to register with you and, therefore, your placement rate might seem to be lower. If you are obviously achieving nothing, less people will register. So I think using figures of this sort to form a judgement of success can be very misleading.
MR. CHAN KAM-CHUEN: Sir, in the last recession, the hawkers policy was relaxed so that a lot of workers from factories became hawkers. Should we issue handi- capped people with hawker licences in future, thus releasing a large number of able-bodied men for employment in the industrial sector?
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER: Sir, I shall be very happy to pass this suggestion on to the appropriate authorities.
MR. HUI: Sir, could Government inform this Council what efforts are being made to provide vocational training and guidance for the disabled to be gainfully employed in light industries? And what are the difficulties, if any, encountered?
SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER: Sir, the Vocational Training Council provides training courses for disabled people. I do not have immedi- ately available details of what the guidance arrangements are or the difficulties encountered. I will let Mr. HUI have that in writing. (See Annex III)
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