TNAG-0251-FCO40-287-Education-policy-of-government-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 122

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Stratford on Avon

[Lord Hawke.]

[LORDS]

be practised to the civil community if it is to flourish?

LORD SHACKLETON: My Lords, the conditions under which tasks are carried out by the Services for civil authorities, other than in natural disasters, require that the work must be of social value to the community; it must be of training value, and must be undertaken by invita- tion and with the written agreement of the civil authority directly concerned. There are a number of other conditions also. In this case no request for assis- tance has been received, and I doubt very much whether, if one were received, it could meet the time-scale. We have been, as in yesterday's debate, continually adjured to let local authorities get on with the business and told that the Government should not tell them what to do.

LORD STONHAM:\My Lords, is my noble friend aware that in recent years prisoners in local prisons received an invitation and did invaluable work on the Stratford Canal? Has any invitation been issued on this occasion, and has thought been given to the employment of prisoners in this way?

LORD SHACKLETON: My Lords, I was not aware of that fact, but do not think it affects my answer, which is that the local councils are themselves the best people to decide how to deal with ome- thing which is essentially an amenity question, rather than a drainage ques- tion, and means raising the level of the Avon so that the swans look appropria to the tourists.

PRIMARY EDUCATION IN HONG KONG

2.52 p.m.

BARONESS

SUMMERSKILL:

My

Lords, beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why compulsory primary education is not introduced in Hong Kong, having regard to the estimated number of 80,000 children within the ages of 6 to 11, who are not attending school.]

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LORD SHEPHERD: My Lords, I am not sure where the noble Baroness has obtained the figure of 80,000 children not attending school. It is the declared aim of the Hong Kong Government to provide places for all children between the ages of 6 and 11 years who seek primary edu- cation. It is also the aim to provide free education for such children. Progress towards free primary education continues. Standard fees in Government and subsi- dised primary schools were substantially reduced in September, 1969. They are now 27s. 6d. a year (2s. 34d. a month) in urban areas and 13s. 9d. a year in rural areas. There is provision for the remis sion of 'fees in whole or in part, in cases of need, and grants for text books and stationery are made to all holders of free places.

Substantial progress has been made in creating sufficient accommodation avail- able for children in the relevant age group. In September, 1969, there were 609,300 places in Government and sub- sidised schools, compared with 650,000 children in the group. By March, 1971, the total number of places is expected to rise to 682,000. The children then likely to be of the relevant age are estimated to number 645,000.

My

BARONESS SUMMERSKILL: Lords, in view of the fact that my noble friend wondered where I obtained my informaton, may I ask whether he is aware that I obtained it from the Memo- randum of the Civic Association, addressed to the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir David Trench, so I think he will agree with me that my figures are correct. Having heard the figures that my noble friend has already given about what the Government intend to do, may I ask whether he will now give me an answer to my Question, which is this. Is it a fact that these children are deprived of education, although the Memorandum says that there is adequate accommoda- tion for them? Is it not a fact that, in consequence, the unscrupulous employers of Hong Kong are using them as child labour?

LORD SHEPHERD: My Lords, my noble friend is quite wrong in the last assertion, because, as I perhaps can show her later on in another room, we have adequate legislation to deal with the labour front. The noble Baroness

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