TNAG-1729-FCO40-2442-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 126

Industrial safety

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زو)

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سو

19.

of

Both Dr. Chiu and

Mr. Pang spoke on

I have

this

of

industrial

safety. I fully share their views on the vital importance

said before in this subject which, as

I agree Council, is literally a matter of life and death.

with them, too, on

the importance of enforcement,

publicity and of tripartite co-operation between employers, employees and the Government. These are all key points in our policy in this area. This subject was fully discussed

in the adjournment debate оп this subject on 19 November 1986. I gave my views in detail in my speech winding up

that debate.

it is

do I

not

think

necessary

repeat everything I said then, but I would like

for me to

to try

try to

clear up one or two apparent misunderstandings and remind

Members of the progress we are making in this area.

26.

Dr. Chiu spoke of the low level of penalties for

- industrial safety offences in terms which seemed to imply

that this was within the Government's control. However, the

problem, as I see it, is not with the legal maximum fines, but with the level of fines actually imposed which average

As Members know, this

this is a

what In spite of

the media may

sometimes say or imply our courts are genuinely independent

per cent about 58 of the legal maximum.

بهم

matter

for the

courts.

and there is no way that the Administration can control

the

level of fines imposed.