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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, on student suicide cases and on the wage arrears of Asia Television Limited (ATV) after attending a meeting of the Central and Western District Council today (March 10):
Reporter: Do you see (think) that the recent student suicide incidents reflect the lack of school counselling for students? The second question is, do you think that the Labour Department is, a little bit, not taking an initiative, as they have to wait for Deloitte's documents ...
Secretary for Labour and Welfare: About the recent spate of student suicides, the Government is very concerned about the whole thing. In fact, the Social Welfare Department will organise a meeting tomorrow morning with all non-government organisations involved in providing youth services, particularly students' services, to put our heads together to find the way forward, particularly to examine how best to strengthen our support and collaboration. I think it boils down to three things. The first is to identify those who are in need. The second is to provide rapid intervention services and, finally, to provide full support. In fact we have to mobilise the community and all sectors, because it involves all different sectors - it is cross-sectoral and cross-discipline - to put our heads and efforts together to help them.
On the question of the Labour Department's role, I must stress that, on the ATV issue, the Labour Department has been doing its very best. We will continue to do our best within the constraints of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance to help all employees of ATV to ensure that their interest is protected.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Thursday, March 10, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:25
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