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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1975
LEGAL BACKING FOR MOVE TOWARDS METLICATION
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A DRAFT BILL HAS BEEN PREPARED TO GIVE LEGISLATIVE EFFECT TO THE METRIC SYSTEM AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF NON-METRIC UNITS IN EXISTING LEGISLATION.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. JAMES WU WHO ENQUIRED ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF METRICATION,
THE BILL WAS EXPECTED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE COUNCIL AS SOON AS A NUMBER OF ISSUES HAD BEEN RESOLVED, MR. MCDONALD SAID.
REFERRING TO THE INTRODUCTION OF METRICATION INTO PUBLIC WORKS, MR. MCDONALD SAID: +AS FROM JUNE 1, 1974, ALL NEW DESIGN PROJECTS IN THE ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN METRIC TERMS AND THE CALLING OF TENDERS HAS PROGRESSIVELY MOVED IN FAVOUR OF METRIC CONTRACTS RATHER THAN IMPERIAL CONTRACTS.
+THE PREPARATION OF MAPS IN METRIC SCALES HAS BEEN INTRODUCED AND THE SALE OF CROWN LAND EXCLUSIVELY IN METRIC TERMS WILL BE CONDUCTED AS FROM JUNE 1976.+
THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, HE NOTED, WAS ABOUT TO ISSUE PRACTICE NOTES AND A SCHEDULE OF METRIC EQUIVALENTS WHICH WOULD ENABLE AUTHORISED PERSONS TO SEEK APPROVAL OF PLANS AND DOCUMENTS PREPARED ON THE PRESCRIBED METRIC SYSTEM,
+AUTHORISED PERSONS WILL AS FROM JANUARY 1, 1976 HAVE THE OPTION OF MAKING SUBMISSIONS FOR APPROVAL IN EITHER IMPERIAL OR METRIC TERMS, AND IT IS INTENDED THAT AS FROM JANUARY 1977,
RSE SUBMISSIONS IN METRIC TERMS WILL BE MANDATORY SUBJECT, OF COURSE, TO THE PASSAGE OF APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION, MR. MCDONALD SAID.
A WORKING PARTY WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE SECTOR IS NOW ENGAGED IN TRANSLATORY WORKS RELATING TO GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS, AND A VERY BASIC ENGLISH/CHINESE GLOSSARY OF SI TERMINOLOGY TOGETHER WITH THE CHINESE VERSION OF METRIC INSTRUCTIONS HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE FOR SALE.
TURNING TO EDUCATION, MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT SECONDARY SCHOOLS ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS HAD BEEN CONDUCTED IN METRIC TERMS SINCE 1974, AND COURSES IN SI TERMINOLOGY WERE NOW BEING RUN AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.
+THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ALSO HAS COMPLETELY METRICATED ITS WORK AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS ARE WORKING TOWARDS THIS END,+ HE ADDED.
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