TNAG-0608-FCO40-756-Planning-paper-on-progress-made-on-social-security-in-Hong-K-1977 — Page 55

HKKC 013/2

CONFIDENTIAL

10000977

Reference....LA 393/2.

Mr Thompson HK & GD

Car

PA

10/10.

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HONG KONG : DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES

1.

143,

Included in bucal.

included

The Stewb

THE

brief

Please refer to your minute of 29 September.

40

2. I note that Annex A to ExCo Memorandum XCC(77)73 lists December 1980 as the date for introducing the contributory sickness, injury and death benefit scheme. In paragraph 5 of his submission of 28 September to Lord Goronwy-Roberts, Mr Stewart drew attention to the fact that a delay of 32 years for the introduction of this scheme is far too long. This is a point we shall need to keep very much in the forefront of our minds and pursue whenever an opportunity presents itself.

3. Reading Annex A, I get the impression too that the Hong Kong Government is sure to claim that it has a very full programme for the next 3 years in the field of social welfare services and will rely on this argument to resist progress to the goal defined in paragraph 3(a) of Mr Stewart's submission "of an extended social security programme by the end of 1980 which would comprise a non- means-tested type of social security scheme which would include unemployment and retirement benefits". This is an argument we must resist.

4.

I agree that we can discuss with Mr Heppell. he will be in London?

DA Hurst informed

mid No.

Do you know when

CODI 18 - 7

5 October 1977

TR.S.

HR G Hurst

Overseas Labour Adviser

CONFIDENTIAL