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The Committee notes with interest the ratification of the Protocol of 1995 and the Declaration cancelling the earlier Declaration which excluded Part II of the Convention from ratification.

The Committee also notes with interest the information contained in the annual reports prepared by the Health and Safety Authority for 1993, 1996 and 1997 in relation to Articles 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Convention.

The Committee notes that successive Government reports over the past few years show that there has been no change in the application of the Convention. However, it notes that no annual general report on the work of the labour inspection services has been provided since the report for the period 1987-1988. The annual reports prepared by the Health and Safety Authority contain particularly useful information both at the national level and in giving an idea of the manner in which the Convention is applied in these fields, and the Committee hopes that the Government will continue to supply copies of it regularly to the ILO. However, they cannot replace the reports envisaged by Articles 20 and 21 of the Convention. Such reports should contain information on the activities of the labour inspection services in all the fields under its control, such as general conditions of work, hours of work, the employment of children and young persons and other related matters. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide detailed information in its next report on the manner in which effect is given to Articles 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20 and 21 covering the resources, activities and results of the labour inspection services in fields other than occupational safety and health, and if it would take the necessary measures to ensure that annual reports on labour inspection, the form and contents of which are set out in Articles 20 and 21, are published regularly and that copies are transmitted to the ILO within the required time limits.