TNAG-0644-FCO40-792-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 123

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Written Answers

8 DECEMBER 1976

employers, respectively, were prosecuted for employing children below 14 years of age in industrial undertakings.

Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs show many employers in Hong Kong have been prosecuted for employing children below 18 years of age in dangerous trades in 1975 and 1976 to date

Mr. Luned: The employment of any female persons of whatever age or of male young persons below 16 years of age in any dangerous trade is prohibited except with the written permission of the Commissioner for Labour. There were no prosecutions against employers during the period in question.

Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many children were involved in the prosecutions in Hong Kong for employ- ment under 14 years of age and employ- ment under 18 years of age in dangerous trades in 1975 and 1976 to date.

Mr. Luard: During 1975 and 1976-- up to 30th November 1976–350 and 349 children, respectively were involved in prosecutions for illegal employment in industrial undertakings. The employ- ment of male workers over 16 in dangerous trades is not illegal. There were no prosecutions for employment of persons below 16 in dangerous trades.

Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many factory inspectors in Hong Kong are engaged in visits to factories w check for illegal employment under 14 years of age and illegal employment under 18 years of age in dangerous trades, re- spectively, in 1975 and 1976 to date ; how many factores were visited; and what was the time allocated to such visita.

Mr. Luard : Visits to factories to check for illegal employment, carried out by labour inspectors in the Hong Kong Gov. emment's Labour Department Seventy- one labour inspectors were engaged in visits to factories in 1975 and 1976 They

Written Answers

254

carried out 124,257, and 97,737 visits in 1975 and the first 10 months of 1976, respectively, to industrial undertakings to check for the illegal employment ol children and the illegal employment of young persons under 16 years of age in dangerous trades. The time allocated to factory inspections varies according to the size of the factory, area occupied. aumbers employed, and other factors.

The Labour Department conducted three campaigns against the employment of children in industry in 1975 and three more in 1976. 13,800 industrial under- takings were visited during these cam- paigns in 1975 and 16,059 in 1976.

Mr. Parry asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many children aged between 10 and 14 years in Hong Kong were not enrolled in any school in each of the years 1979 to date.

•

Mr. Luard: I regret that figures for 1976 are not available but figures för previous years are as follows:

At September 1973

At September 1974

A1 September 1975

26.600

22,300

23.100

The figures exclude children enrolled in special schools and classes for which an age distribution is not available, and children curulled in certain specialist trade schools. Nor is statistical information available for the number of Hong Kong children being educated abroad.

Mr. Parry' asked the Scuretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many children, aged between 10 and 14 years in Hong Kong were carolled in Government schools. Government-aided or, assisted schools and private schools, respectively, in each year from 1973 to date; and in cach case how many were enrolled in each form.

Mr. Luard: The number of chikiren aged between 10 and 14 years in Hong Kong carolled during the daytime in Gov- crnment schools, aided schools and private schools al_ September 1973, September 1974 and September 1975 was as follows:

Primary and Further EnKOLMENT FOR the Age-Group 10–13 (INCLUSIVIL) (Surtember 1973)

255

Wri

P 4

Ps

Pa

F3

Total

P.3

PS P6

FI

F2

F.3

Total

PRIN

PRIM

Grade

PRI

Grade

P.I P.2

P1

P4

P.S

P.6

FI

F.2 F.3

Total

The figures

Mr. Parry for Foreign how many u in Hong K years of sec from 1973 to

Mr. Luar tion request the results known in n

Under 14

Age G

Grade

P.I 12

Government

Auded

41

P.3

630

142 2656 15,633

3 0 14

Private

Toml

242

586

1,280

3,977

5,115

21,378

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