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WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1978
AS TO CONSTRUCTION NOISE, HE SAID: +AS INDEED WITH ALL FORMS OF NOISE POLLUTION, WE WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO HAVE SEEN SPECIFIC LEVELS OF NOISE RATHER THAN SPECIFIC
NOISE PRODUCERS AT SPECIFIC TIMES .+
HOWEVER, SINCE THEY HAD BEEN ASSURED THAT THE EXPERTISE FOR ENFORCING LAW BASED ON DECIBEL COUNTS WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE
IN HONG KONG, THEY HAD AGREED THAT THAT THIS PART OF THE BILL SHOULD PROCEED, ON THE UNDERSTANDING GIVEN THEM THAT THIS CULD ONLY BE AN INTER IN HOLDING MEASURE UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT PRODUCES COMPREHENSIVE NOISE LEGISLATION BASED ON MORE SCIENTIFIC AND UNIFORM APPROACH.
IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID HE ACCEPTED THE AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY MR. LO AND WOULD INTRODUCE IT IN THE COMMITTEE STAGE.
MR. JONES ALSO REVEALED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE NOISE POLLUTION: BILL WILL BE PREPARED AND EE PRESENTED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HOPEFULLY IN ITS NEXT SESSION.
THE SUMMARY OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) BILL WAS PASSED INTO LAW TODAY.
URBAN COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1978 PASSED
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THE REV. THE HON. JOYCE M. BENNETT HAS ASKED FOR A STUDY ON WHETHER ALL HOLDERS OF THE PRESENT HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION, AND NOT ONLY THOSE WITH AT LEAST FIVE SUBJECTS AT GRADE E, COULD BE CONSIDERED AS HAVING OBTAINED A +GOOD GENERAL EDUCATION+ TO QUALIFY TO VOTE IN URBAN COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE URBAN COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1978 AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, IIISS BENNETT NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECENTLY SAID IT HAD NO PLANS TO ENLARGE THE FRANCHISE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL OR TO
INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ITS ELECTED MEMBERS.
SHE SAID THAT IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE BILL WAS NOT TO EXTEND THE FRANCHISE BUT TO UPDATE THE LIST OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR VOTERS SO AS TO INCLUDE ONCE MORE THE KIND OF PERSON THOUGHT SUITABLE TO VOTE IN THE MID-SIXTIES WHEN THE FRANCHISE WAS LAST REVIEWED.
SHE WAS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT ONLY THOSE WITH CERTA IN GRADES IN THEIR CERTIFICATE WERE INCLUDED IN THE BILL.
+THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION HAS CLEARLY STATED IN THIS CHAMBER AND ELSEWHERE THAT THE PRESENT HONG KONG CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION, UNLIKE THE OLD CERTIFICATE, HAS NO PASSING GRADES= THE CERTIFICATE IS OF A GENERAL NATURE TO SHOW THAT THE HOLDER HAS ACHIEVED A GENERAL STANDARD OF EDUCATION. +
HISTORICALLY,
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