WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1977
+WE SHALL BE DOING SO, HE PROMISED.
HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE BILL ATTACKED EQUALLY ALL FORMS OF GAMBLING WHICH WERE NOT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORISED BY IT AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CERTAINLY WISH TO CONSIDER WHAT FURTHER STEPS WERE NECESSARY IF THE NEW LAW AND THE ALTERNATIVE LAWFUL WAYS OF BETTING WHICH WERE NOW AVAILABLE DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
HE CONFIRMED THAT HE WOULD BE MOVING AMENDMENTS IN COMMITTEE IN RELATION TO THE VARIOUS MATTERS TO WHICH REFERENCE HAD BEEN MADE.
HE CONTINUED: + ALSO READILY CONFIRM THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND THAT THE BILL SHOULD DEPRIVE MR. CHEUNG, AND OTHERS OF LIKE MIND, OF THE IR OCCASIONAL +FLUTTER+, ON THE DERBY OR OTHER SUCH RACE.+
MR. HOBLEY PRAISED THE JOCKEY CLUB FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY IN RELATION TO GAMBLING BY PROVIDING CONTROLLED FACILITIES FOR BETTING AS A COUNTER TO THE WIDESPREAD ILLEGAL BETTING OPERATIONS.
HE SAID: THE GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT CONTRIBUTION AND THE IMAGINATIVE WAY IN WHICH IT HAS BEEN MADE.
+ IT IS ALSO CONFIDENT THAT THE CLUB WILL CONTINUE TO MEET THE PUBLIC RESPONSIBILITY ACCEPTED BY MR. WILLIAMS AS RESTING WITH IT.
HE PUTS THE POSITION VERY ACCURATELY WHEN HE SAYS THAT THE CLUB'S ROLE IS TO DIVERT NOT TO PROMOTE IT, AT THE OFF-COURSE BETTING CENTRES,+
MOVE TO PROTECT PICNICKERS
******
THE POLICE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR PRESENCE IN POPULAR RURAL AREAS, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES, SAID TODAY.
FOR INSTANCE, HE SAID, A RURAL POLICE UNIT WAS FORMED RECENTLY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PURPOSES ON HONG KONG ISLAND.
+THESE OFFICERS PATROL THROUGHOUT THE RECREATIONAL AREAS ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, NOT LIMITING THEMSELVES TO THE AREAS EASILY ACCESSIBLE BY ROAD, HE SAID. + IN ADDITION SOME HELICOPTER SURVEILLANCE IS PROVIDED.+
MR. DAVIES WAS REPLYING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. ALEX WU ON PROTECTION AGAINST ROBBERIES PROVIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO HOLIDAY-MAKERS IN REMOTE AREAS.
HE SAID THE MOST IMPORTANT MEANS OF PROTECTION WAS BY POLICE PATROLS ON FOOT AND IN VEHICLES AND BY THE USE OF POLICE DOGS, THE FREQUENCY OF PATROLS DEPENDING ON THE POPULARITY OF THE ÁREA AND INCREASING AT WEEKENDS AND ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
PROTECTION AGAINST ROBBERY IN OTHER PARTS OF HONG KONG WERE PROVIDED BY THE SAME MEANS, HE SAID. HOWEVER, HE WARNED THAT THERE WAS NEED TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO DILUTE THE POLICE PRESENCE IN URBAN AREAS.
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