XN000022-1992-12-16 — Page 24

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1992

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OF THE REMAINING 1,690 CHILDREN, 392 REQUIRED INTENSIVE COUNSELLING; 11 WERE SUFFERING FROM ILL HEALTH; 115 WERE ABSENT

419 HONG KONG TEMPORARILY OR WERE CHILDREN OF FISHERMEN; VARIOUS STAGES OF BEING PROCESSED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT; WERE

HOMES UNTRACEABLE; AND 190 WERE SENT TO BOYS' AND GIRLS' HAVING BEEN CONVICTED OF AN OFFENCE.

WERE

FROM AT 563

AFTER

MISS

ON

THE

CHOW NOTED THAT THERE WERE NO DIRECT STATISTICS PROPORTION OF SCHOOL DROP-OUTS WHO HAD EVENTUALLY BECOME MEMBERS OF JUVENILE GANGS.

"POLICE STATISTICS SHOW THAT, IN ADDITION TO THE 190 CASES

HAD 45 CHILDREN BELOW 15 WHO

DROPPED INVOLVING BREACHES OF THE LAW, OUT OF SCHOOL WERE ARRESTED DURING THE 1991/92 SCHOOL YEAR FOR MINOR THEFT AND SHOPLIFTING OFFENCES, SHE SAID, ADDING THAT THEY WERE DEALT WITH BY A SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENT DISCRETION SCHEME.

11

OF

MISS CHOW ALSO SAID THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON YOUNG OFFENDERS HAD RECENTLY COMMISSIONED A CONSULTANCY STUDY ON THE SOCIAL CAUSES CRIME AMONGST YOUNG OFFENDERS.

SHE EXPECTED THAT THIS STUDY WOULD PROVIDE SOME MORE DEFINITIVE FIGURES TO DETERMINE THE SCALE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG YOUNGSTERS WHO HAD LEFT SCHOOL EARLY.

ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED RECORDS BEING STUDIED

THE GOVERNMENT IS

CONSIDERING WHETHER THE ARRANGEMENT FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO UNCLASSIFIED RECORDS SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO CLASSIFIED

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID DOCUMENTS, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

FORD, TOLD THE

UNCLASSIFIED AND RANGING USUALLY

THE PURPOSE IS TO BRING HONG KONG IN LINE WITH PRACTICE IN OTHER PLACES WHICH ALLOW PUBLIC INSPECTION OF BOTH CLASSIFIED RECORDS AFTER A FIXED PERIOD OF CLOSURE, BETWEEN 20 AND 60 YEARS.

HE

TO

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, SAID THE CURRENT PRACTICE WAS TO ALLOW PUBLIC ACCESS UNCLASSIFIED RECORDS OLDER THAN 30 YEARS AND TO CONSIDER REQUESTS ACCESS TO OTHER RECORDS ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

FOR

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