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Government is
I am aware that imported labour is a very sensitive issue. equally concerned over the plight of the unemployed. But I repeat: the sole purpose of the proposed Supplementary Labour Scheme is to allow the entry of a limited number of foreign workers to take up jobs which cannot be filled locally. No one, and I repeat no one has put forward a rational argument as to why in these circumstances and following the termination of the General Scheme, we should not even retain a policy option of employing a limited number of foreign labour. As a Government, we cannot afford to lose sight of the wider community interest. I urge Members to consider the Government's proposal in a positive light and I will spare no effort in discussing our case within and outside this Council.
Before I leave the subject of importation of labour, I want to make it clear once again that our review did not cover the Special Scheme for Importation of Labour for the New Airport and Related Projects. That scheme is of paramount importance to the completion of the new airport on time. Adequate measures are in place to safeguard the employment opportunities of local workers. We have no intention to make any changes to the scheme.
Industrial Safety
Earlier on, I referred to the importance of training and retraining. In addition to upgrading the skills of our workforce, we must also ensure that there is an increasing awareness of safety practices. We need to do more to reduce the unacceptable number of deaths and injuries in industrial undertakings particularly among workers in the construction industry. The consultation paper on industrial safety which was published in July proposed a series of measures to improve safety practices. We have completed the public consultation exercise and I am pleased to report that there is general support for the new policy initiative of introducing a safety management system in our work places. We will also propose to increase Government's monitoring and enforcement responsibilities. We are finalising our policy proposals and I shall be putting forward legislative proposals to Members for consideration in 1996.
Age Discrimination
I would like to say a few words about the issue of age discrimination in employment. This is not an area where we are standing still. I have set up a working group to look into age discrimination in employment. The Working Group will: