TNAG-0644-FCO40-792-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 66

Mr Stewart

HONG KONG: CHILD LABOUR

f

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference...

Det toiss

Jas

36

1. You suggested that we should perhaps inform Lord Goronwy-Roberts of the comparatively heavy fines imposed this month for offences under the child labour laws in Hong Kong (the Acting Attorney General's letter of 18 April).

2.

I should be inclined to wait until the Governor has replied to Lord Goronwy-Roberts' letter of 7 April before putting Ministers in the picture. You should perhaps know that the origin of the idea of the Minister of State writing to the Governor was Mr Cortazzi's feeling that Hong Kong telegram no 324 of 28 March had been drafted in the Attorney General's office and that the Governor himself was not perhaps directly involved. The object of Lord Goronwy-Roberts' letter therefore was to engage the Governor's attention and I think that what he has to say will be what matters. If the Governor should not mention the fines reported in Mr Thornton's letter, which seems unlikely, we should obviously deal with this point as well as the news that the new regulations raising the level of fines will be submitted to the Legislative Council on 4 May.

3. Incidentally, Mr Kidd tells me that he has informed Hong Kong of the full page article in "The Guardian" on 22 April on child labour and is proposing to write a letter to the editor about it.

25 April 1977

D. f. Milton

D F Milton

Hong Kong & General Department K 247

233 4381

W wighten

Thank

you. You said that I Kidd is writing to the Guardian.

Does he know

(34)

2/ Pse have an

et

of the information and дне

cechuanledgert-chyfled t1⁄2 34

teele

CONFIDENTIAL

der. Skewart (over)