TNAG-0747-FCO40-951-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 147

CONFIDENTIAL

Care will be needed in defining these exemptions and I propose, as a first step to provide information on the limitations applied in the United Kingdom on child employment.

13.

The large number of industrial undertakings and the extension of the ban on child employment to the non-industrial sector will demand a major, though phased, increase in the size of the Labour Inspectorate. The present establishment is 135 and 30% of the posts are unfilled. Allowing for an increase in establishment, a major effort will therefore be needed if staff of the calibre of the present Inspectorate are to be recruited and trained in sufficient numbers within the next 21 months. The Labour Commissioner is fully aware of the problems involved. Sympathetic consideration by the Secretary for the Civil Service and Financial Secretary of any plan he puts forward to expand the size of the Inspectorate and to improve the ratio of senior to junior posts in the Department as a whole, to provide the necessary direction and supervision, seems to be fully justified. Government's stated policies in the field of eliminating child employment must be seen to be effective.

INDUSTRIAL SAFETY

14. In 1976, 45,057 persons were injured at work, of whom 249 died as a result, and about HK$ 20 million were paid out in workmen's compensation. The great majority of these occupational accidents took place in industrial undertakings although since 1972 the Labour Department has been intensifying its efforts to improve industrial safety. 17 sets of special regulations dealing with safety in hazardous trades have been made in the past 9 years and the Labour Department has formulated a 5-year Programme of Action for Industrial Safety based on recommendations by a member of the United Kingdom Health and Safety Executive (HSE) who was attached to the Department from 1973-76. The Programme has now been up-dated to incorporate the views of the present Chief Factory Inspector who is seconded from the UK HSE and appropriate financial provision for its phased implementation has been earmarked in the Financial Estimates. present establishment of 120 Factory Inspectors (23 posts are currently unfilled) will need to be greatly expanded and a number of senior posts created over the period of the 5-year Programme to provide adequate supervision and an in-service training capacity. Only in this way can the advisory and enforcement capability of the field inspectorate be brought up to the standards required by Hong Kong's present degree of intensive industrialisation and keep pace with the factories planned for the expanding industries of the New Territories. The educational and publicity role of the Industrial and Safety Training Centre may also need to be strengthened and this would require additional staff and resources.

15.

The

If,

In recruiting the considerable number of additional inspectors who will be required under the 5-year Programme, I strongly advise that an attempt be made to attract and retain persons possessing technical qualifications or practical experience of industry. at some date, a combination of qualifications and experience can be found, so much the better. One or two specialists might also need to be recruited; for example, to deal with safety problems in the construction industry and in the utilisation of electric power within industrial undertakings. I think it important that Factory

/Inspectors

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CONFIDENTIAL