TNAG-0658-FCO40-807-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-education-1977 — Page 219

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Oral AnswerS

16 JULY 1975

Mrs. Bain: Will the right hon. Gentle- man accept that many of us have recog. nised the fact that membership of the United Nations has trebled since its initial establishment in 1945, due mainly to the fact that ex-colonial States have been recognised as independent nations in their own right? Will he further accept that his own Government's recognition of the special needs of Scotland, and the recog nition of these other countries as separato nations by the establishment of separato representation at the United Nations, means that this Government should have : included in their recommendation the request that the Scottish and Welsh assemblies should be able to send national representatives to the United Nations?

Mr. Ennals i

These, basically, are matters for my right noɑ. Friend the Lord President of the Council, but I must

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Oral Answers unreasonable charges in the private middle schools, where in some cases, to my personal knowledge, there have been instances of corruption?

Mr. Eanals: Certainly the Hong Kong Government would like to move faster, but education plans must be kept within the colony's financial capabilities, with duc regard to other development priorities. The Hong Kong Government's plans are to make the three years of secondary education available to all chil- dren and a further two years available to 40 per cent. of them, but, because of the budgetary restraint to which I have referred, this will not now be possible before September 1980.

Air. James Johnson i While applauding the magnificent efforts made by the Hong Kong Government in education, may ask the Minister to turn his mind to an

the state of corruption? Will be com- ment, following the Godber case, on what progress has been made by the indepen- dent corruption commission?

my that the carrying out of Her Majesty's equally important state in Hong Kong- Government's policy has always been through Her Majesty's Government and not through any separate part of the United Kingdom. I think the Houso would wish it to remain in that way.

Hong Kong

10. Mr. Hal Miller asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the plans of the Hong Kong Government for the provision of free secondary education for all who want it; and what progress has been made to date with the implementation of those plans.

Mr. Ennals: The Hong Kong Govern. ment have not announced such plans. However, the number of secondary school places is being expanded.

These are heavily subsidised and a generous systent of fee remission is designed to ensure that no child is denied secondary education on financial grounds.

Mr. Miller: Will the Minister of Stato accept that the whole object of the Chinese population in Hong Kong is to improve itself, that traditionally it has paid the greatest attention to education, and that his reply is therefore extremely disappointing, in the light of the support that the Chinese population allorded the Hong Kong Government at the time of the 1967 riots, and the strenuous efforts of the population concerning education in view of the very patchy standards and

Mr. Emmalt 1 would ask my bon. Friend to put down a Question on that subject.

European Security and Co-operation

11. Mr. Sproat asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest progress of the CSCE

19. Mr. Frank Allaus asked the Sec- retary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Allairs if he will make a state- ment about the latest state of the mutual force reduction talks in Vienna; and the conference on European Security and Co-operation in Geneva.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Cominonwealth Affairs (Mr. Roy Hattersley) I will, with permission, answer this Question and Question No. 19 together.

As regards the CSCE, I have nothing to add to what I said during yesterday's debate.

It is disappointing, as the Prime Minister told my hon. Friend on 26th June, that there has been little progress in the MBFR talks after nearly two years of negotiation. I hope the con- clusion of the CSCE will create the right