XN000022-1973-01-17 — Page 4

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Wednesday, January 17, 1973

PROGRESS ON STEPS TO CONTROL NURSERIES

Mr. Li Talls Council Of Consultations Now Going On

The Hon. Li Fook-kow, Director of Social Welfare, said today

steps were being taken to find out how many privately-run profit-making

nurseries and centres existed in Hong Kong, and how many children were

in their care.

He told the Legislative Council this information was necessary

before he could estimate what sort of staff would be required for the

implementation of proposed legislation to control such nurseries.

Of the non-profit-making nurseries and day-care centres and

creches, he said they number 113. The majority were sponsored by welfare

organisations, and assisted by the Government.

Mr. Li was replying to a question by the Hon. Mrs. Mary Wong

Wing-cheung who had asked for a progress report on a statement last

August by Mr. G.T. Rowe, the former Director of Social Welfare, that

urgent consideration was being given to the setting up of machinery to

control all residential and day nurseries.

He assured Mrs. Wong that there had been "no loss of momentum,

and that for the last six months, the Social Welfare Department had had

consultations with various government departments, including the Education,

Medical and Health, Fire Services, and Public Works departments, on the

minimum standards of health and safety considered necessary in residential

and day care centres for children.

There were