XN000022-1983-10-17 — Page 9

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1983

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CHINA BEING ASKED TO REDUCE WATER SUPPLY

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THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT HAS APPROACHED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES REQUESTING THEM TO REDUCE THE PRESENT LEVEL OF WATER SUPPLY FROM CHINA.

THE REQUEST WAS MADE OVER THE WEEKEND FOLLOWING RECENT RAINS WHICH HAVE FURTHER IMPROVED THE STORAGE IN THE RESERVOIRS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT DESCRIBED THE REDUCTION AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE.

+AS WE ARE ENTERING THE DRY SEASON, WHEN FURTHER HEAVY RAINFALL IS UNLIKELY AND THE RESERVOIRS WILL BE DRAWN DOWN, WE EXPECT TO CATCH UP WITH THE ORIGINAL LEVEL OF SUPPLY FROM CHINA LATER IN THE YEAR, HE SAID.

AT 9 AM TODAY, THE STORAGE IN HONG KONG'S RESERVOIRS STOOD AT 580.884 MILLION CUBIC METRES OR 99.1 PER CENT OF CAPACITY.

OF HONG KONG'S 17 RESERVOIRS, 12 ARE FULL.

WORK RULES FOR CHILDREN EXPLAINED

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CHILDREN WITHIN THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION AGE GROUP WHO HAVE REACHED 13 YEARS, MAY WORK PART-TIME OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS IN NON-INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS, WITH THE CONSENT OF THEIR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS AND ON PRODUCTION OF VALID SCHOOL ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES.

UNDER THE EDUCATION (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE 1979, ALL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX AND 15 WHO HAVE NOT COMPLETED FORM 11, MUST ATTEND SCHOOL, AN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID.

IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE ENFORCEMENT OF SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, THE EMPLOYMENT (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISION) ORDINANCE 1979 AND THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN REGULATIONS 1979 HAVE BEEN ENACTED WHICH PROHIBIT THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN BELOW THE AGE OF 15 IN INDUSTRIAL AND NON-INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS,

HOWEVER, 13-YEAR OLD CHILDREN MAY WORK PART-TIME IN NON- INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS, WITH THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE IR PARENTS OR GUARDIANS AND ON PRODUCTION OF VALID SCHOOL ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATES.

+BUT THESE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE EMPLOYED IN ANY PROHIBITED OCCUPATIONS AS SPECIFIED IN THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHILDREN REGULATIONS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

CHILDREN UNDER 13 YEARS OF AGE MAY BE EMPLOYED IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, SUBJECT TO STRINGENT CONTROLS AND WITH PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, HE SAID.

/ALL SHA