WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1982
23
OFFICE TERM EXTENDED
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THE HEUNG YEE KUK (AMENDMENT) BILL WHICH SEEKS TO EXTEND THE TERM OF OFFICE OF KUK MEMBERS TO THREE YEARS WAS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING AT ITS SECOND READING, MR CHEUNG YAN-LUNG QUOTED THE THEN GOVERNOR, SIR HENRY BLAKE, AS SAYING IN HIS PROCLAMATION OF 1899: THE MOST RESPECTED OF YOUR ELDERS WILL BE CHOSEN TO ASSIST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF YOUR VILLAGE AFFAIRS, TO SECURE PEACE AND GOOD ORDER AND THE PUNISHMENT OF EVIL-DOERS.+
HIS WORDS BECAME REALITY IN 1959 WITH THE FORMAL INSTITUTION OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, HE SAID.
+MANY OF US CONSIDER THAT SIR HENRY'S WORDS ARE THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH THE HEUNG YEE KUK WAS BUILT.
+LIKE ITS FOUNDATION, THE KUK IS OF SOLID CONSTRUCTION.
+BUT TO PERFORM ITS DUTIES, THE KUK MUST ADAPT ITSELF TO CHANGING NEEDS IN CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES,+ MR CHEUNG SAID.
NO CHANGE IN LABOUR DEPARTMENT TITLE
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THE TITLE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST SUCCINCT DESCRIPTION OF ITS ACTIVITIES, THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON J.N. HENDERSON, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
NOTING THAT THE TITLE WAS WIDELY KNOWN AND ACCEPTED BY THE PUBLIC, HE ADDED THAT HE SAW NO COMPELLING REASON TO INSTITUTE A CHANGE.
MR HENDERSON WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALEX WU, WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THAT THE TITLE OF THE DEPARTMENT ACCURATELY REFLECTED ITS FUNCTIONS IN THE LIGHT OF CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES.
THE PRESENT FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT, HE ADDED, ENCOMPASSED A WIDE VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, RANGING FROM THE BETTER-KNOWN ONES OF LABOUR LEGISLATION, LABOUR RELATIONS, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES AND INDUSTRIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY, TO THE RATHER LESSER-KNOWN ONES OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL AND STORAGE AND DELIVERY OF EXPLOSIVES.
THESE ACTIVITIES WERE MAINLY CONNECTED WITH THE CONDITIONS, THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF LABOUR, AND THE OVERALL AIM WAS TO MAINTAIN AND ADNANCE +LABOUR STANDARDS+ IN A MANNER APPROPRIATE TO THE SOCIAL, ECOLONIC AND CULTURAL CIRCUMSTANCES IN HONG KONG,
IN RECENT YEARS HE WAS UNABLE TO RECALL SUGGESTIONS FROM ANY QUARTER THAT THE NAME OF THE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE CHANGED, MR HENDERSON ADDED.