WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1981
BILL ON GAME MACHINES CENTRES BECOMES LAW
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THE NEW LAW ON LICENSING OF PUBLIC GAME MACHINE CENTRES WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY,
THREE UNOFFICIALS SPOKE DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE MISCELLANEOUS LICENCES (AMENDMENT) BILL WHICH WAS INTENDED TO BLOCK A LOOPHOLE IN THE LAW AND TO REGULATE CENTRES WHERE MACHINE GAMES COULD BE PROVIDED.
SUPPORTING THE BILL, THE HON ANDREW SO POINTED OUT THAT FROM A FAVOURABLE POINT OF VIEW, AUTOMATIC MACHINES WERE THE PRODUCT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WHICH MIGHT AROUSE CHILDREN'S INTEREST IN ELECTRONICS.
HOWEVER, HE FELT THAT IF THE THEMES OF THE GAMES RELATING TO WAR, INVASION AND DESTRUCTION COULD BE EXCLUDED IN FAVOUR OF EDUCATIONAL ONES, THEY WOULD BE NO LESS AN ATTRACTION TO PLAYERS WHILE SERVING AS AN ADDED RECREATIONAL FACILITIES FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE+.
THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN DESCRIBED THE LICENSING CONDITIONS LAID DOWN IN THE BILL AS +FAIR AND NECESSARY+.
HE SAID: THE PRESENT PROTEST AGAINST THE PROPOSED LÉGISLATION COMES MAINLY FROM THOSE OPERATORS WHO REALISE THAT THEY COULD UNLIKELY COMPLY WITH THE LICENSING CONDITIONS SET BY THE GOVERNMENT.
+AS TO THOSE APPLICANTS WHO ARE PREPARED TO ABIDE BY THE LAW, THEY SHOULD HAVE LITTLE TO WORRY ABOUT.+
HE DID NOT THINK THERE WAS A NEED FOR A GRACE PERIOD FOR THE PRESENT UNLICENSED OPERATORS WHO WERE SIMPLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LEGISLATION WHICH HAD BEEN OUTDATED BY TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS.
HOWEVER, HE URGED THAT AFTER THE ENACTMENT OF THE BILL, A SWIFT SORTING OUT OF THE APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES SHOULD BE MADE AND THAT THE APPLICANTS SHOULD BE ADVISED OF THE OUTCOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT ANY CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT ON THE GOVERNMENT COULD BE ELIMINATED.
MR CHAN ALSO REFERRED TO THE VARIOUS POINTS OVER THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT RAISED BY MANY OPERATORS OF EXISTING AUTOMATIC MACHINE ESTABLISHMENTS.
ON THE ARGUMENTS THAT AUTOMATIC MACHINE GAMES COULD HELP YOUNGSTERS TO ESTABLISH CONFIDENCE IN DEALING WITH COMPLEX LEARNING SITUATIONS AND TO OVERCOME THEIR FEARS OF COMPUTERS, MR CHAN SAID: +SHOULD THIS BE THE CASE, SUCH GAMES SHOULD BE SUITABLY MODIFIED FOR INTRODUCTION INTO SCHOOLS AND INTEGRATED WITH THE CURRICULUM SO THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE FAMILIARISED WITH THE OPERATION OF COMPUTERS.
/IN THAT CASE,