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Fr Murray
CONFIDENTIAL
23 MAR 977
1. PS/Lord Goronwy-Rowerto HKK, 210/1
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HONG KONG: MP'S LETTER: MR WILLIAM RODGERS MP
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تلفة
1. The secretary to Mr William Rodgers, the Sedretary of State for regunt Transport and MP for Teesside, Stockton, wrote to Mr Dell's Privateher Secretary on 1 March concerning a resolution passed by the Stockton
whe constituency Labour Party asking that the import of toys produced by take children working in Hong Kong should be banned. The letter has been passed to the FCO for reply and the Private Office have asked for a draft for the Secretary of State's signature.
2. The Stockton & Thornaby Trades Council sent similar resolutions
At to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State in February. the request of the Private Offices concerned, Hong Kong Department sent replies. These various resolutions have arisen, as Mr Rodgers has surmised, from the Granada TV programme "World in Action" on 13 December last about child labour in Hong Kong, particularly in the toy industry. This programme has already given rise to a number of letters from MPs and members of the public and Mr Robert Parry MP has drawn Parliament's attention to it. I attach a copy of Lord Goronwy-Roberts' letter of 2 February to Mr James Dempsey MP, who had passed on a typical letter.
3. The general consensus amongst officials in the Office who watched the programme on 13 December was that, while it set out to be highly critical of Hong Kong, it was not as damaging as advance information about the programme had suggested. In a number of instances the film lacked credibility. Thus, for example, pictures of employees arriving for work at a factory were taken at long range since, the viewer was told, cameramen were not allowed near because of "tight security". The faces of some of those interviewed were blacked out because identification could have led to "fear of reprisals". It was asserted that cameras had to be concealed in factories in order to obtain pictures of children; that children at work were hidden from visiting labour inspectors; and that warning systems were installed
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