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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1975
ANTIQUITIES ORDINANCE TO COME INTO FORCE IN JANUARY
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THE ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS ORDINANCE WILL BE BROUGHT INTO OPERATION ON JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR AND REGULATIONS PRESCRIBING THE FORM OF LICENCE FOR EXCAVATING AND SEARCHING FOR ANTIQUITIES WOULD HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL BEFORE THEN.
THE HON. DENIS BRAY, SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND INFORMATION, WHO WAS REPLYING TO THE HON. ROGER LOBO IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON, SAID THAT A QUESTION ON THE ENACTMENT DATE OF THE ORDINANCE HAD ALSO BEEN ASKED PREVIOUSLY IN THE COUNCIL.
HE HAD SAID THEN THAT ITS ENACTMENT WAS HELD UP BECAUSE NO SUITABLY QUALIFIED FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE SECRETARY COULD BE RECRUITED. ALTHOUGH IT WAS HOPED TO APPOINT A SERVING OFFICER, IT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DECIDED THAT HIS SERVICES WERE URGENTLY REQUIRED ELSEWHERE.
+WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THE STAFF NECESSARY TO UNDERTAKE ANY STUDY OF THE BUILDINGS AND PLACES WHICH MIGHT BE DECLARED AS MONUMENTS,+ MR. BRAY SAID, NOR DO I EXPECT THAT SUCH STAFF WILL BE PROVIDED SOON.+
+BUT THE ORDINANCE GOES FURTHER THAN PROVIDING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MONUMENTS AND IT IS WORTH BRINGING IT INTO FORCE TO PRESERVE TO THE GOVERNMENT THE OWNERSHIP OF RELICS WHICH MAY BE DISCOVERED, AND TO PROHIBIT THE EXCAVATION OF ANTIQUITIES EXCEPT IN ACCORDANCE WITH A LICENCE, HE SAID.
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