CO129-629-8 Social policy 1-12-1949 - 31-12-1951 — Page 67

67

12500/17/49

HONG KONG

NO.56

R.S.C. 1/51 (Appendix A)

Colonial Office,

The Church House,

Great Smith Street,

Westminster, S.W.1.

4th March, 1949.

Sir,

I have the honour to forward a report on social welfare in Hong Kong written by Mr. W. H. Chinn, my Social Welfare Adviser, on the conclusion of his recent tour in the Far East, and to express my appreciation of the opportunities afforded him of making a wide acquaintance with social problems in Hong Kong. The report reviews the organisation of social welfare measures and makes certain suggestions for strengthening the present machinery and developing existing services.

2.

In the particular conditions of Hong Kong where the wide variety of voluntary effort plays an important part in social welfare, it is especially important that a Government organisation should define its scope of action, and I am glad to note that a statement of official policy is now in course of préparation.

3.

I hope that it will be possible to include in any such statement a plan for the treatment of juvenile delinquency on a comprehensive basis. I realise that you may have been awaiting the appointment of a principal probation officer before considering further advance in this field: one suitable applicant who had expressed his willingness to accept the appointment subsequently declined on personal grounds, but every effort is being made to find a fully trained officer who will be able to establish probation and other social services on a sound basis. I attach great importance to the provision of an efficient system of juvenile courts, approved schools, remand homes and hostels, and to the development of a good probation system covering adults as well as juveniles: in the present conditions of Hong Kong delinquency can easily degenerate into crime and, apart from the human wastage, the Government is then faced with increased

nor-productive expenditure on prison services. I hope that all measures for the treatment of delinquency will be pressed ahead as quickly as circumstances permit.

t

4.

I have been interested in Mr. Chinn's account of the youth work now being undertaken under the auspices of the Boys and Girls' Clubs Association. The movement seems to afford opportunities for development which are worth encouraging.

GOVERNOR,

SIR ALEXANDER GRANTHAM. K.C.M.G.

ETC.,

ETC.,

ETC.

/5.