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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1981
AS REGARDS DR FANG'S FEAR OF FALSE CLAIMS TO THE POLICE IN CASES OF VOLUNTARY INTERCOURSE RESULTING IN AN UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY MR HO SAID THE POLICE DO INVESTIGATE SUCH REPORTS AND A FALSE REPORT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE IN ADDITION TO MAKING THE WOMAN GUILTY OF PROCURING HER OWN MISCARRIAGE.
COUNTERING MISS BENNETT'S PROPOSAL TO DELETE THE THREE MONTHS TIME LIMIT FOR MAKING REPORT TO THE POLICE, MR HO SAID THIS PERIOD WAS A REASONABLE INTERVAL FOR THE VICTIM TO RECOVER FROM THE INITIAL SHOCK. FURTHERMOKE, IT WAS GENERALLY BELIEVED THAT SOME VICTIMS MAY NOT WISH TO DISCLOSE THE IR TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE UNTIL AND UNLESS THEY ARE CONVINCED THEY ARE PREGNANT.
HE ASSURED HER THAT STATISTICS OF ABORTIONS PERFORMED UNDER EACH CLASS OF CIRCUMSTANCES PERMITTED BY THE LAW WERE AND WOULD CONTINUE TO BE KEPT.
TURNING TO THE ARGUMENTS OF MR ANDREW SO, MR HO POINTED OUT THAT MR SO HAD NOT SUGGESTED THAT TERMINATION OF AN UNWANTED PREGNANCY WAS A PUNISHABLE OFFENCE IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE LAW +LET THERE EE NO MISTAKE. HERBAL PREPARATIONS BELIEVED TO BE CAPABLE OF INDUCING ABORTION HAVE BEEN USED BY CHINESE WOMEN OVER THE AGES.+
FURTHERMORE, AS MISS BENNETT HAD REMARKED, MR HO SAID, PREDOMINANTLY ETHNIC CHINESE COMMUNITIES ELSEWHERE APPEAR TO HAVE MUCH MORE LIBERAL ABORTION LAWS THAN THE BILL.
UNOFFICIALS ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION
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THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALLOW DISTRICT BOARDS TO REFER PROBLEMS TO THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND THE GOVERNOR WHERE NECESSARY.
THE CALL CAME FROM THE HON WONG LAM WHO BELIEVES THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT CAN BY DOING SO DEMONSTRATE THE SIGNIFICANCE IT ATTACHES TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE PUBLIC ILL GIVE MORE SUPPORT TO AND HAVE GREATER CONFIDENCE IN THE BOARDS.
MR WONG WAS SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF DEBATE ON THE HITE PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS AFTERNOON.
HE CONSIDERED REASONABLE THE ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY A DISTRICT BOARD, WHEN NOT SATISFIED WITH THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE'S RESPONSE TO ITS ADVICE, COULD BRING THE MATTER EITHER TO THE ATTENTION OF THE HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED, OR OF THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS CR THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES.
J
+HOWEVER, I THINK THAT IT COULD WELL BE THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT, AND NOT NECESSARILY THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEES, WHICH WOULD HOLD A DIFFERENT VIEW FROM THAT OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS,+ HE SAID.
/+SO IT