LEGISLATION
193
Ordinance, 1961, was enacted to amend the principal Ordinance of 1951, in such a manner as to enable the Governor in Council to suspend it by Proclamation. This was done with an eye to the future so that the Compulsory Service Ordinance, 1951, remains on the statute book in abeyance in case it should be required again.
Road Traffic. The month of June also saw the enactment of an item of legislation of considerable concern to motorists, namely, the Motor Vehicles (First Registration Tax) Ordinance, 1961. It is designed to reduce the number of new registrations of motor vehicles, whether new or used, by rendering payable upon the first registration in the Colony of all motor vehicles, other than goods vehicles, taxis and other public service vehicles, a tax equal to 10 per cent of the market value of the vehicle at the time of its registration. The provisions made in the Ordinance have had effect since the 15th March 1961, by virtue of an Order made under the Public Revenue Protection Ordinance, (Chapter 120).
In the sphere of subsidiary legislation relating to road traffic, the year saw, with the enactment of the Road Traffic (Public Omnibus and Public Car) Regulations, 1961, and the Road Traffic (General) Regulations, 1961, the completion of 11 sets of sub- sidiary legislation relating to road traffic, which have exercised draftsmen over the past five years.
Medical and Health Services. The Nurses Registration Ordin- ance, 1961, and its accompanying set of regulations repealed and revoked the existing Nurses Registration Ordinance and Regula- tions and re-enacted them in a more comprehensive and detailed form. The previous legislation had over the years become so far out of date and in many ways inappropriate to the modern nursing service as to require complete re-drafting.
In this field also, no less than 19 sets of subsidiary legisla- tion were enacted under powers conferred by the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960. This constituted a major effort, and it can be stated with some satisfaction that it resulted in completion of the revision of the regulations applicable to the whole Colony and of all the principal sets of by-laws applicable to the urban areas. There remains now the task of revising the regulations applicable solely to the New Territories, and time was found during the year to start this work.