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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1982
+ IN THAT CASE, WE COULD AVOID EXPOSING OUR CHILDREN TO POSSIBLE BAD INFLUENCE IN COMMERCIAL GAME CENTRES, HE ADDED.
THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG COMMENDED THE GOVERNMENT FOR ITS EFFORTS IN LAYING DOWN SPECIFIC CRITERIA WHICH AUTOMATIC MACHINE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES MUST MEET BEFORE THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES ARE APPROVED.
BUT HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S DELIBERATIONS OVER THE CRITERIA TOOK MORE THAN SIX MONTHS AND THAT THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING HAD RECEIVED OVER 800 APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES TO OPERATE SUCH GAME CENTRES PRIOR TO THE GAZETTING OF THE BILL ON DECEMBER 18 LAST YEAR.
+TO BE FAIR TO THOSE APPLICANTS, MAY RESPECTFULLY URGE THAT, UPON ENACTMENT OF THIS BILL, THE PROCESSING OF THESE BACKLOGGED APPLICATIONS BE SPEEDED UP, PREFERABLY WITHIN A TARGETED TIME FRAME OF NO MORE THAN THREE MONTHS, SO AS TO MINIMISE ANY MISREPRESENTATIONS THAT GOVERNMENT USUALLY DRAGS
ITS FEET IN THE EXECUTION OF POLICIES, SAID MR CHEONG.
HE ALSO CALLED ON THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES TO CARRY OUT CONTINUOUS AND EFFICIENT ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS ON SUCH CENTRES AFTER THE BILL WAS PASSED.
GAMES MACHINE CENTRE APPLICATIONS ******
THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON DENIS BRAY TODAY TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT ALMOST HALF OF THE APPLICATIONS FOR GAMES MACHINE CENTRE LICENCES RECEIVED SO FAR HAD BEEN DEALT WITH.
SPEAKING AT THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE MISCELLANEOUS LICENCES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1982, MR BRAY SAID UP TO YESTERDAY (JANUARY 5) 1 096 APPLICATIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED AND OF THESE, 408 HAD BEEN DEALT WITH.
PROCESSING OF MOST OF THOSE REMAINING WOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, HE ADDED.
MR BRAY SAID THAT UNLESS THE TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AUTHORITY WAS FLOODED OUT WITH AN EVEN GREATER RUSH OF APPLICATIONS THAN IT HAD NOW, APPLICATIONS COMING IN NOW COULD BE DEALT WITH WITHIN TWO MONTHS.
HE EMPHASISED THAT GAMES CENTRES IN HONG KONG, AS IN SO MANY OTHER PLACES, SHOULD BE LICENSED,
/HE ALSO