XN000022-1993-02-10 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1993

EMPLOYMENT,

CANNOT COMMENTS APART

WITH THE INCREASING NUMBER OF MOTHERS IN FULL-TIME THERE IS A NEED FOR DAY CARE FACILITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN WHO BE CARED FOR BY PARENTS DURING THE DAY. NOW CONTRARY TO THE MADE BY SOME MEMBERS, WE DO HAVE CRECHES, WE DO HAVE NURSERIES

OF DAY CRECHES HAS FROM

CARE CENTRES. INDEED THE PROVISION CHILD BEEN INCREASING AND DAY NURSERIES WILL BE EXPANDED. AS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS OCTOBER ADDRESS, SECURE FUNDING WILL BE TO IMPLEMENT THE TARGETS FOR CHILD CARE FACILITIES.

PROVIDED

CHILD CARR

AND I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE IDEA OF WORK-BASED CENTRES IS PROMOTED AMONGST INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL EMPLOYERS. I SCHOOL MYSELF FOR ONE AM PROMOTING ONE FOR CIVIL SERVANTS. THE AFTER

WILL ALSO BE CARE PROGRAMME AND THE OCCASIONAL CHILD CARE SERVICE EXPANDED.

BEEN

THIS

I PAPER

HAVE

ON

WAS

SOME MEMBERS HAVE SUGGESTED THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO PREVENT PARENTS FROM LEAVING THEIR CHILDREN UNATTENDED AT HOME. HAS

AND ON DEBATED ON MANY OCCASIONS,

MANY OCCASIONS

BEEN

A CONSULTATIVE SORELY TEMPTED TO SUPPORT THIS IDEA.

HOME MEASURES TO PREVENT CHILDREN FROM BEING LEFT UNATTENDED AT

WAS INDEED DISCUSSED IN OCTOBER. THE PUBLIC RESPONSE DURING THE TIME

PARENTS FROM THAT LEGISLATION SHOULD NOT BE INTRODUCED TO PROHIBIT LEAVING THEIR CHILDREN AT HOME ALONE. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS WAS PUBLIC EDUCATION SHOULD BE PROMOTED TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM

THIS AT

MORE OF OUR DEVELOPMENT. STAGE

CHILD CARE SERVICES SHOULD BE PROVIDED. I SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION.

THAT CERTAIN CENTRES AND

ALSO PAY SUGGESTED

BY

SPECIAL THE

APART FROM HOME SAFETY, PARENTS SHOULD

IN ATTENTION

FOR

AS CHOOSING TOYS

CHILDREN HONOURABLE MR WONG. THE TOYS AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS SAFETY ORDINANCE WAS PASSED BY THIS COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. ORDINANCE IS TO PROVIDE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR TOYS PRODUCTS IN ORDER TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM UNSAFE TOYS AND HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD, REMAIN VIGILANT IN CHOOSING TOYS AND PRODUCTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN,

OUTSIDE

ELECTRIC

CHILDREN ARE

GATES

THE PURPOSE OF THAT AND CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS. PARENTS MUST

то

ΤΟ

то

HOME, THE

ALSO EXPOSED

POTENTIAL

DANGERS. ESCALATORS,

CAN BE HAZARDOUS

YOUNG CHILDREN CHILDREN. PARENTS SHOULD ALWAYS KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR SMALL

PLAY AROUND WHEN GOING OUT WITH THEM AND SHOULD NEVER LEAVE THEM TO UNSUPERVISED. PARENTS

ATTENTION

ROAD ALSO PAY SPECIAL SHOULD SAFETY. A LOT OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVED CHILDREN PLAYING IN

THERE STREET OR

IN 1990, 1991 AND 1992, TRAVELLING IN A CAR. SOME 2493, 2631 AND 2533 CHILDREN AGED 14 AND BELOW INJURED, AND VERY SERIOUSLY, IN ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. I REGRET THAT THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT WAS NOT COVERED IN THIS COMPREHENSIVE DEBATE.

THE

WERE

SOME

VERY

/TURNING NOW