XN000022-1974-10-16 — Page 64

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Wednesday, October 16, 1974

ordinance because it takes a long time for the disease to

become apparent. A special compensation scheme for those

suffering from the disease will be introduced during this

session.

And now, let me turn briefly to Industrial Training.

During its first full year of operation the Hong Kong Training

Council has been considering the draft bill designed to provide

a legislative framework for apprenticeship schemes.

Work on

this is in the final stages and it is intended that the bill

should reach this Council during the coming session. The

rate of further progress in this field will be to some extent

dependent on the success of efforts to recruit suitably qualified

technical staff to support the recently created training

division within the Labour Department.

We have now reached the stage where legislation already

onacted or about to be enacted covers most of the major areas

in the labour field. We must now aim to consolidate this position.

Many of the measures provide only minimal standards and there

are some gaps to be filled. This can be done in part by

reviewing and revising existing legislation but there are also

other important tasks to be undertaken such as developing and

improving the factory and labour inspectorates and, as I have

already mentioned, promoting industrial safety. Work has

already started on these matters with the appointment, as an

adviser to the Commissioner for Labour, of an experienced Factory

་

Inspector from the United Kingdom.

/Let me