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WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 1900
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IT IS INTERESTING THAT THIS WAS PRECISELY THE COMPLAINT MADE BY AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER IN 1919 WHEN THE ORDINANCE WAS FIRST INTRODUCED AS CONSOLIDATING LEGISLATION, HE SAID.
MR WU NOTED THAT THE PRESENT PROCEDURES WERE +MORE CUMBERSOME, BEWILDERING AND FRUSTRATING+.
THERE IS A DIVERSITY OF AUTHORITY WHICH IS UNDESIRABLE IN ITSELF AND THERE ARE NEW FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT WHICH DO NOT NECESSARILY FALL COMFORTABLY INTO THE PROVISIONS OF AN ORDINANCE WHICH WAS OUT-OF-DATE WHEN IT WAS ENACTED 60 YEARS AGO, HE SAID.
+PERHAPS THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS LEGISLATION REPRESENTS THE WRONG APPROACH TO THE CONTROL OF ENTERTAINMENT, HE ADDED.
MR WU SAID WHAT THIS TYPE OF LEGISLATION MISSED ALTOGETHER WAS THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF ENTERTAINMENT AND THE ACTIVITIES WHICH THE TERM COVERED.
+ IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DEAL PROPERLY WITH THE SOCIAL IMPACT WHEN THE STARTING POINT IS LEGISLATION LAYING DOWN THE HEIGHT OF THE PIT AND THE STALL ABOVE STREET LEVEL AND THE NUMBER OF TIERS OF SEATS.
+ IT IS VERY UNSATISFACTORY THAT WE HAVE HAD TO GRAFT ON, AGAIN, TO LEGISLATION OF THIS TYPE OUR ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONTROLLING THE CONTENT OF ENTERTAINMENT.
+I KNOW THIS IS A CONTENTIOUS SUBJECT BUT I DO NOT THINK ANYONE BELIEVES THERE SHOULD BE NO CONCERN AT ALL FOR THE CONTENT OF WHAT MAY BE OFFERED AS PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT, HE ADDED.
HE WELCOMED THE NEWS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONSIDERING FURTHER LEGISLATION AND HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE BASED ON THE APPROACH HE PROPOSED.
IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE ORDINANCE AND REGULATIONS WERE IN MANY RESPECTS OBSOLETE, THEY WERE WORKABLE.
HE PROMISED HOWEVER THAT A SERIOUS EXAMINATION WOULD BE MADE OF THE WHOLE LEGISLATION AS IT AFFECTS CONSTRUCTION AND RELATED SAFETY MATTERS.
IT WOULD BE MADE AFTER A STUDY NOW BEING CONDUCTED ON FIRE SAFETY IN BUILDINGS HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND IN THE LIGHT OF AMENDMENTS TO THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE WHICH ARE ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION, HE ADDED.
AS REGARDS LICENSING AND WHAT MR WU TERMED THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF ENTERTAINMENT+, MR JONES SAID THESE HAD BEEN STUD FED BY A WORKING PARTY UNDER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING WHICH HAD MADE CERTAIN RECOMMENDATIONS.
THESE ARE NOW BEING CONSIDERED WITH A VIEW TO DRAWING UP NEW LEGISLATION MORE SUITED TO PRESENT DAY CONDITIONS, HE SAID.
THE PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT (AMENDMENT) BILL 1980 LATER PASSED ITS THIRD READING.
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