WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 1981
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CALL FOR MORE STAFF TO DEAL WITH APPLICANTS
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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) PASSED THE SHIPPING AND PORT CONTROL (AMENDMENT) BILL, PROVIDING FOR MORE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER THE POSSESSION AND LICENSING OF VESSELS.
THE BILL ALSO RESTRICTS THE USE OF UNLICENSED MOTORISED PLEASURE CRAFT WHICH ARE EASILY REMOVED FROM THE WATER AND TRANSPORTED OR STORED ON LAND.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE BILL, MR BILL BROWN RECALLED THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY HAD ESTIMATED THAT NO LESS THAN 3 000 PLEASURE VESSELS, OR ABOUT ONE THIRD OF ALL PLEASURE CRAFT PLYING HONG KONG WATERS, WERE CURRENTLY UNLICENSED.
+ IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME, THEREFORE, THAT THE ENACTMENT OF THIS BILL WILL RESULT IN A LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES, HE SAID.
+AND THIS COULD WELL BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PERSONS APPLYING FOR THEIR LOCAL ENGINEERS AND MASTER CERTIFICATES.+
MR BROWN SAID HE WAS TOLD THE WAITING TIME FOR SUCH A TEST IS SIX TO SEVEN MONTHS, AND HE CALLED FOR SUFFICIENT STAFF TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE MARINE DEPARTMENT TO IMPLEMENT THE PROPOSALS.
IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON LEWIS DAVIES, SAID MARINE DEPARTMENT'S LICENSING OFFICES WERE READY TO HANDLE APPLICATIONS FROM THOSE WHO ALREADY OWN PLEASURE VESSELS BUT HAVE NOT LICENSED THEM. IN FACT, THERE HAD ALREADY BEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS SINCE THE BILL WAS INTRODUCED.
MR DAVIES SAID IT WAS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE NUMBER OF PERSONS APPLYING FOR LOCAL ENGINEERS AND MASTERS CERTIFICATES WOULD
INCREASE.
+A PROBLEM HAS BEEN CREATED IN PROVIDING FACILITIES FOR THESE EXAMINATIONS, DUE IN PART TO THE FACT THAT SOME PERSONS WHO ARRANGE TO TAKE THE EXAMINATION DO NOT SHOW UP FOR IT.
+HOWEVER FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH EVENING SESSIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED. I HOPE THAT THIS AND OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE BEING MADE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE WILL COPE WITH THE DEMAND, HE ADDED.
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