XN000022-1985-06-12 — Page 27

I.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985

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FILIPINA DOMESTIC HELPERS' STATUS OUTLINED

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FILIPINA DOMESTIC HELPERS WERE NOT PREVENTED BY THE TERMS OF THEIR CONTRACTS FROM CHANGING EMPLOYERS DURING THE CONTRACT PERIOD, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

BUT THE 'CONDITIONS OF STAY THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION IMPOSED ON THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN HONG KONG WOULD SPECIFY WHO THEIR EMPLOYERS IN HONG KONG WERE, MR JEAFFRESON SAID.

IF, THEREAFTER, THEY WANTED TO CHANGE EMPLOYERS, THEN UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE THEY HAD TO GET THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION'S APPROVAL, HE SAID.

MR JEAFFRESON WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON SELINA' CHOW ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF FILIPINA DOMESTIC HELPERS IN HONG KONG.

AS REGARDS ENFORCING COMPLIANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF STAY+, MR JEAFFRE SON SAID A FILIPINA DOMESTIC HELPER WHO CHANGED EMPLOYER WITHOUT GETTING THE APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION WOULD BE GUILTY OF AN OFFENCE UNDER SECTION 41 OF THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE.

THE OFFENDER WOULD BE LIABLE ON CONVICTION TO A FINE OF $5 000 AND TO IMPRISONMENT FOR TWO YEARS, MR JEAFFRESON SAID.

AT THE END OF MAY, HE SAID, THERE WERE 24 008 FILIPINA DOMESTIC HELPERS WORKING IN HONG KONG.

THE NUMBER HAD INCREASED BY 66 PER CENT SINCE JANUARY 1982,

THE ANNUAL RATES WERE 39 PER CENT IN 1982, 23 PER CENT IN 1983, MINUS SEVEN PER CENT IN 1984, AND PLUS FIVE PER CENT IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 1985, HE SAID.

WAYS TO PRODUCE TEXTBOOKS IN CHINESE STUDIED

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THE ADMINISTRATION WAS AT PRESENT EXAMINING A NUMBER OF OPTIONS AS TO HOW THE PRODUCTION OF TEXTBOOKS WRITTEN IN CHINESE SHOULD BEST BE ARRANGED, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

FIRM PROPOSALS ON THIS, AND ON THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHINESE LANGUAGE FOUNDATION, WOULD HOPEFULLY BE TAKEN TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR ADVICE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO OR THREE MONTHS, HE SAID.

/HE WAS