THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1975
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CENTRALISED POLLUTION CONTROL
UNIT TO BE SET UP
X X X X X
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SMALL CENTRALISED POLLUTION CONTROL UNIT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN THE FIRST REPORT OF THE CONSULTANTS APPOINTED TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON ALL ASPECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION LEGISLATION,
THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. JAMES ROBSON, TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON THAT THE PROPOSED UNIT WOULD SET ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES, CO-ORDINATE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMMES AND OVERSEE THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LEGISLATION BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
+ INSTEAD OF A SYSTEM OF RIGID ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS, THE CONSULTANTS HAVE RECOMMENDED A FLEXIBLE. APPROACH TO POLLUTION CONTROL WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE CONTROL UNIT TO JUDGE THE BEST METHOD OF PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT IN EACH AREA, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL NEEDS AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS,+ HE SAID.
MR. ROBSON POINTED OUT THAT SUCH AN APPROACH WOULD PROTECT EXISTING INDUSTRIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE ENACTMENT OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION AND THE SETTING UP OF A CONTROL UNIT SHOULD LEAD TO BETTER CONTROL OF ALL TYPES OF POLLUTION. IT WOULD ALSO ESTABLISH CLEAR BUT PRACTICAL ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES WITHIN WHICH INDUSTRY COULD DEVELOP WITHOUT DETRIMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE CONSULTANTS' REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOW BEING CONSIDERED IN DEPTH BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. IT IS HOPED THAT BY EARLY NEXT YEAR, THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE IN A POSITION TO INSTRUCT THE CONSULTANTS TO BEGIN WORK ON THE FINAL STAGE OF THE PROGRAMME WHICH IS TO PREPARE FORMAL DRAFTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ORDINANCE.
ON THE QUESTION OF SUBSIDISING SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS TRAVELLING ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT, MR. ROBSON CORRECTED THE IMPRESSION THAT THE SCHEME WAS BEING ABUSED AND THAT MORE SEASON TICKETS WERE BEING ISSUED THAN THERE WERE STUDENTS.
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HE EXPLAINED THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SEASON TICKET ANNUAL AND MONTHLY AND THE STATISTICS WERE EASILY
- MISUNDERSTOOD. IN THE MONTH OF JUNE, THERE WERE 257,100 STUDENT TICKETS ISSUED COMPARED WITH THE FIGURE OF 370,573 STUDENTS QUOTED BY MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN HAD INDICATED THAT SOME 403,966 SEASON TICKETS WERE IN USE BUT, MR. ROBSON SAID, THIS PROBABLY INCLUDED SOME 10 MONTHS OF DOUBLE ACCOUNTING OF THE MONTHLY SEASON TICKETS SOLD BY THE CHINA MOTOR BUS COMPANY.
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