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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1977
CHILD LABOUR
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IN THE FIVE YEARS FROM 1972 TO 1976 PROSECUTIONS BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT RESULTED IN 1,476 CONVICTIONS FOR EMPLOYING CHILDREN BELOW THE LEGALLY PERMITTED AGE OF 14 IN AN INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON. IAN PRICE, IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM THE HON. LEUNG TAT-SHING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
AS THE DEFINITION OF INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING DID NOT INCLUDE RESTAURANTS, MR. PRICE SAID, NONE OF THESE CONVICTIONS RELATED TO EMPLOYMENT IN RESTAURANTS LICENSED TO SELL LIQUOR.
HOWEVER, HE ADDED, THE DUTIABLE COMMODITIES (LIQUOR) REGULATION 29, WHICH IS ENFORCED BY THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE, STATES AMONG OTHER THINGS THAT NO LICENSEE SHALL EMPLOY OR PERMIT THE EMPLOYMENT OF ANY PERSON UNDER THE AGE OF 14 AT ANY TIME.+
THE COMMISSIONER SAID THAT HE WAS INFORMED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE THAT DETAILS OF OFFENCES UNDER THIS REGULATION WERE RECORDED AS INDIVIDUAL CONVICTIONS AND BECAUSE CRIMINAL RECORDS WERE NOT YET COMPUTER ISED. IT WOULD TAKE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT TO COLLATE THE INFORMATION SOUGHT,
HE ADDED THAT GIVEN ADEQUATE TIME, SUCH FACTS COULD BE OBTAINED.
STATISTICS GIVING TRUE PICTURE OF HK FINANCIAL SCENE
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THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY GIVEN PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATION TO THE QUESTION OF STATISTICAL COVERAGE OF HONG KONG'S DEVELOPING FINANCIAL SECTOR, BOTH GENERALLY AND WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO DEPOSIT TAKING FINANCE COMPANIES.
THIS WAS STATED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. Q.W. LEE.
MR. LEE'S QUESTION WAS THAT SINCE THE PUBLISHED STATISTICS OF DEPOSITS, LOANS AND OTHER DATA RELATING TO THE BANKING SECTOR DID NOT REVEAL THE TRUE PICTURE OF THE FINANCIAL SCENE OF HONG KONG SHORT OF SIMILAR DATA OF DEPOSIT TAKING COMPANIES, WOULD GOVERNMENT CONSIDER COLLECTING ALSO SUCH STATISTICS PERTAINING TO DEPOSIT TAKING COMPANIES AND DISSEMINATING THE SAME FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION SO AS TO BRIDGE A MISSING LINK IN FINANCIAL INDICATORS.
MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID: IN FACT, I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED TO THE DEPOSIT TAKING COMPANIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT THEY WILL BE ASKED TO CONSIDER SHORTLY A PAPER ON JUST WHAT STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON THEIR BUSINESS MIGHT BE, WITH ADVANTAGE, COLLECTED.
+ THE FORM IN WHICH THESE STATISTICS MIGHT BE PUBLISHED WILL NEED TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN THE PAPER ON WHAT SHOULD BE COLLECTED IS DISCUSSED.+
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