HC Deb 01 April 1976 vol 908 cc577-8W
Mr. Dan Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the extent and development of evening classes for the youth of Hong Kong; and what are the principal subjects being taught.

Mr. Ennals

The Hong Kong Government's Education Department provided education classes in the evenings for nearly 22,000 persons, including about 8,000 under the age of 18, in 1975. The two universities and the Hong Kong Polytechnic provide extra mural courses for almost 44,000 young and adult students in 1974–75. Private organisations also provide evening courses for approximately 100,000 persons a year. A detailed breakdown of the subjects taught is not available but they cover a wide range of vocational and non-vocational subjects.

Mr. Ron Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give the facts and figures to show to what extent the UMELCO office is used by the public in Hong Kong.

Mr. Ennals

The UMELCO office dealt with 3,115 new cases during the year ending 30th June 1975. There were 4,822 interviews with members of the public and 1,415 letters were received. Of those cases completed in that year, 22 per cent. were ones in which the complaint was rectified or the individual's difficulty fully overcome.

Mr. Ron Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweatlh Affairs if he will report on the progress of the plans for a second medical school in Hong Kong.

Mr. Ennals

The Hong Kong Government propose to establish a medical school at the Chinese University of Hong Kong which will be associated with a new 1,200-bed hospital to be built at Sha Tin. The first intake of students should take place in the early 1980s.

Mr. Ron Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what family planning services are available to the inhabitants of Hong Kong.

Mr. Ennals

The Hong Kong Government run 40 family health clinics providing family planning services. Additionally, the Hong Kong Family Planning Association runs 26 family planning clinics, mainly in areas not served by the Government facilities. Total attendance at both kinds of clinics in 1975 was 154,000.