§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the number of industrial hygienists employed by the Hong Kong Government; and what proportion per million of the working population of the colony this represents.
§ Mr. RifkindAlthough there are nine occupational hygienist posts in the Hong Kong Government, only six are currently filled. Based on the existing strength there are 2.5 occupational hygienists per million working population. Based on the present establishment, there are 3.75 occupational hygienists per million working population.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans for improving industrial health and safety in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RifkindThe Hong Kong Government plan to continue to improve industrial health and safety by providing more, better trained factory inspectors and occupational hygienists; improving health and safety legislation; providing more public education; and expanding the work of the tripartite committee on industrial safety and accident prevention.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why the 1979 five-year growth plan for increasing the number of factory inspectors in Hong Kong has been suspended.
§ Mr. RifkindThe 1979 growth plan has not been suspended and the number of factory inspectors has increased from 128 in 1979 to 204 in 1983. Budgetary constraints have prevented a further increase this year, but there will be further growth when the financial position of the Hong Kong Government improves.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessement of the adequacy of the facilities for safeguarding industrial health and safety in Hong Kong has been made; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. RifkindI have every reason to believe that the facilities for safeguarding industrial health and safety in Hong Kong compare favourably with those of other administrations in the region. They are kept under constant review.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are taken to provide workers in Hong Kong with education and information about industrial health.
§ Mr. RifkindInformation is provided by pamphlets, exhibitions, seminars, competitions and frequent television and press announcements. Education is provided by many free courses at the industrial safety training centre; as part of the curricula at technical and industrial training institutions; and during site visits by factory inspectors and occupational hygienists.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response has been made by the Government of Hong Kong to representations made by local labour and research groups for providing stronger monitoring and better regulations on industrial health and safety.
§ Mr. RifkindIn reviewing and formulating its policy on industrial health and safety the Hong Kong Government take into careful consideration the views expressed from all sources. The tripartite committee on industrial safety, comprising representatives from employer's organisations, trade unions and professional and academic institutions, and the labour advisory board (another tripartite body), assist the Labour Department in this area.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regulations require employers in Hong Kong to provide medical services, such as pre-employment and regular medical check-ups to their employees.
§ Mr. RifkindThe Factories and Industrial Undertakings Regulations, the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Work in Compressed Air) Regulations, the Radiation (Control of Radioactive Substances) Regulations and the Radiation (Control of Irradiating Apparatus) Regulations require employees to undergo pre-employment and regular medical examination.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the use of chemicals in Hong Kong is regulated; how their use in factories and industries is monitored; and who is responsible for enforcing regulations.
§ Mr. RifkindUse of chemicals in industry is regulated by provisions in the Dangerous Goods Ordinance and Regulations and the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and Regulations. Staff of the occupational health division of the Labour Department monitor workplaces for health hazards. Enforcement is by staff of the Labour and Fire Services Departments.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legislation provides for the protection of, and the giving of information to, those who are working with, or exposed to, chemicals inside work-places in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RifkindProtection is provided under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Dangerous316W Goods Ordinance. Information must be given on certain chemicals and precautions for their use, under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Dry Batteries) Regulations and the the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Electrolytic Chromium Process) Regulations.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government compensation will be available to the 200 victims of the recent mass gassing incident in Mabuchi factory in Hong Kong; and if the Hong Kong Government will take steps to prevent the recurrence of any such disaster.
§ Mr. RifkindCompensation is available to the affected workers in accordance with the provisions of the Employees' Compensation Ordinance. The Hong Kong Government will give special emphasis in their on-going industrial safety and health publicity campaign programme to the prevention of poisoning by toxic gases and the importance of adequate ventilation in the workrooms. They will also examine the adequacy of existing safety regulations in the light of this serious incident.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any chemicals banned under international agreements are permitted in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RifkindI am not aware of any international agreement, to which either the United Kingdom or Hong Kong subscribes, which bans chemicals. No chemicals prohibited in Britain under the Health and Safety Act or Carcinogenic Substances Regulations 1967 have been found in use in industry in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the responsibilities and facilities of the industrial health unit in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RifkindThe occupational health division (formerly the industrial health unit) of the Labour Department advises the Government and industry on occupational health, complements the factory inspectorate in supervising the health and safety aspects of industry and provides medical and nursing staff to assist the processing of employees' compensation. The division has an occupational health laboratory.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the list of notifiable occupational diseases in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RifkindThe list is contained in the first schedule to the factories and Industrial Undertakings (Notification of Occupational Diseases) Regulations and is as follows:
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- (a) poisoning by lead, manganese, phosphorus, arsenic, mercury, carbon bisulphide, benzene or a homologue thereof, a nitro-derivative or amido-derivative of benzene or of a homologue of dinitrophenol, cadmium, tri-cresyl phosphate, halogen derivatives of hydro-carbons of the aliphatic series or nitrous fumes.
- (b) anthrax.
- (c) primary epitheliomatous cancer of the skin or ulceration of the corneal surface of the eye.
- (d) chrome ulceration.
- (e) inflammation or ulceration of the skin produced by dust, liquid or vapour (including the condition known as chloracne but excluding chrome ulceration).
- (f) heat cataract.
- (g) decompression sickness.
- (h) pathological manifestations due to radium or other radioactive substances or X-rays.
- (i) silicosis.
- (j) asbestosis.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many persons (a) have been killed, (b) received serious injuries and (c) suffered minor injuries in the construction industry in Hong Kong since 1979 to the latest date on an annual basis.
§ Mr. RifkindThere is no differentiation between serious and minor injuries in the statistics kept by the Hong Kong Government. The figures for the construction industry since 1979 are:
Killed Injured 1979 95 17,011 1980 88 18,231 1981 92 17,725 1982 74 19,124
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of industrial accidents in Hong Kong since 1979 to the latest date on an annual basis.
Mr. RikfindThe numbers of industrial accidents of all types recorded in Hong Kong since 1979 are as follows:
Number 1979 45,991 1980 48,691 1981 45,800 1982 46,211
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many companies have been fined in Hong Kong for inadequate safety at work in each of the past five years; and what was the average fine imposed.
§ Mr. RifkindStatistics on the numbers of individual companies fined are not available. However, the total number of prosecutions, convictions and fines in each of the past five years were:
Prosecutions Convictions Average fine (in Hong Kong dollars) 1978 3,770 3,665 641 1979 3,430 3,298 767 1980 4,081 3,966 1,084 1981 3,890 3,786 1,279 1982 3,360 3,250 1,562
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the current legislation on health and safety in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindI consider that the present legislation on health and safety in Hong Kong is generally adequate. It is subject to review and improvement to meet changing needs.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of factory inspectors employed in Hong Kong since 1979 to the latest date on an annual basis.
§ Mr. RifkindThe numbers of factory inspectors employed in Hong Kong since 1979 were:
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Number 1979 134 1980 131 1981 166 1982 196
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many persons have (a) been killed, (b) received serious injuries and (c) received minor injuries in the electronics industry in Hong Kong from 1979 to the latest date on an annual basis.
§ Mr. RifkindNo separate statistics are available for the electronics industry, which is grouped under manufacture of electrical machinery, apparatus, appliances and supplies. No differentiation is made between serious and minor injury in the statistics kept by the Hong Kong Government. The figures are as follows:
Persons killed Persons injured 1979 7 1,817 1980 1 2,045 1981 2 2,662 1982 0 2,051
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Hong Kong Government have for reducing child labour in the colony.
§ Mr. RifkindFull-time employment of children under 14 has been prohibited in industry since 1955, and of children under 15 since September 1980. Prohibition has been and will continue to be enforced by the Hong Kong Government.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons have (a) been killed, (b) received serious injury and (c) received minor injuries in the textile industry in Hong Kong from 1979 to the latest date on an annual basis.
§ Mr. RifkindNo differentiation is made between serious and minor injury in the statistics kept by the Hong Kong Government. The figures for the textile industry (spinning, weaving, knitting and processing) are as follows:
Persons killed Persons injured 1979 9 5,266 1980 3 5,178 1981 5 3,908 1982 0 3,440 The Hong Kong Government statistics provide a separate listing for accidents in the "manufacture of wearing apparel, except footwear". These are as follows for the same period:
Persons killed Persons injured 1979 4 4,310 1980 1 4,523 1981 3 4,144 1982 0 4,474
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied with the present legislation in Hong Kong on child labour; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RifkindHong Kong's legislation on the employment of children has been greatly improved over 319W the years, and it is considered satisfactory by international standards. International Labour Convention No. 5 on minimum age (industry) has been applied without modification since June 1962.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many companies have been fined for employing child labour in Hong Kong in each of the past five years; and what is the average fine.
§ Mr. RifkindStatistics on individual companies are not available. The figures are as follows:
Number of cases Average fine Hong Kong Dollars Prosecuted Convicted 1978 336 318 953 1979 250 235 890 1980 149 148 966 1981 292 280 812 1982 291 276 727 Each case is in respect of one child.