CONFIDENTI AL
Top Copy
23C
HKK 307 | JVP/1
307/54p
Sir M MacLehose GBE KCMG KOVO
Governor
HONG KONG
30 December 1976
REGE IN RE: No. 01
30 MAR 1977
HKK 210/11
CHILD LABOUR AND THE GRANADA PROGRAMME "WORLD IN ACTION"
1.
Perhaps because Parliament went into recess so soon after it was screened, or perhaps because Bob Parry's salvo of PQa pre-empted any possible subsequent parliamentary interest, the "World in Action" programme on child labour has not so far created the stir that we expected. We have had three or four letters from members of the public asking what HMG are doing about the problem and you will probably have seen the article by Sylvia Clayton in the "Daily Telegraph" of 14 December (to which Teddy Kidd wrote a reply published on 18 December). This fortnight's "Private Eye" (24 December) has come up with a fairly lengthy article of quarter truth combined with care- free and libellous inaccuracies (copy enclosed). But there has been nothing more.
2. However,
in more than one sense it is early days yet and I expect that a more significant reaction will develop in the New Year. As of yesterday, 121 MPs have under-written Parry's Motion on the "Democratic and Social Advancement of Hong Kong", and 142 have subscribed to Paul Bryan's Motion on social progress. This is approximately two-fifths of the House of Commons and however many of these MPs are simply along for the ride (or, as Paul Bryan claimed to me recently, however many of their names went forward unbeknownst to the MPs themselves), the likelihood is growing of a parliamentary debate on Hong Kong within the next few months, along with further discussion in TUC circles. If there is a debate of any substance, I would lay money that child labour is raised.
3. In his interview with Granada Iain Price made a point which might well, in such a debate, be presented as a loop hole in Hong Kong's (otherwise very adequate) defence. It was to the effect that the Courts have consistently failed to impose high fines on those convicted of illegally employing child labour. As you know, the present maximum level of fine 18 HK35,000. To my knowledge, though, the highest fine in any
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