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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1983
COMPUTER BACK-UP FOR NEW ID CARDS
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A COMPUTER BACK-UP FOR THE NEW FORGERY-PROOF IDENTITY CARDS WILL ENABLE POLICEMEN ON THE BEAT TO CHECK PARTICULARS ON SUCH CARDS IN HALF AN HOUR, THE HON PETER C. WONG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS (AMENDMENT) BILL 1983, MR WONG POINTED OUT THAT AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE NEW ARRANGEMENT WAS THAT ALL RECORDS WOULD BE COMPUTERISED AND BE AVAILABLE TO THE POLICE THROUGH THE BEAT RADIO SCHEME.
THIS WOULD GREATLY ASSIST THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN COMBATING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, HE SAID.
THE BILL HAD BEEN CAREFULLY STUDIED BY AN AD HOC GROUP SET UP BY THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
MR WONG SAID THAT THE GROUP'S WIDE-RANGING DISCUSSIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT HAD RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING CHANGES TO THE BILL MADE AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE TODAY :
* WHILE THE PROVISION OF A $3 000 FINE AS PROPOSED IN THE
NEW SECTION 7B(3) FOR FAILURE TO APPLY FOR A NEW CARD WAS CONSIDERED REASONABLE, A TERM OF ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT APPEARED TO BE HARSH AND WOULD BE DELETED.
POSSESSION OF AN INVALID ID CARD SHOULD NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFENCE CARRYING A PENALTY OF $3 000 AND A SENTENCE OF ONE YEAR'S IMPRISONMENT, AS OTHERWISE ANYONE WHO INADVERTENTLY RETAINS AN OLD CARD WOULD BE LIABLE TO PROSECUTION. THIS OFFENCE AND THE PENALTIES AS PROPOSED IN THE NEW SECTION 7C(3) WOULD BE DELETED AND THE MATTER WOULD BE DEALT WITH UNDER OTHER SECTIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE.
THE HON CHAN KAM CHUEN, ALSO SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, SUGGESTED THAT THE ASSEMBLY LINE CONCEPT+ BE ADOPTED TO SAVE TIME IN DEALING WITH THE HUGE NUMBER OF CARDS INVOLVED,
IN HIS VIEW, THE OFFICERS ON THE WORK LINE SHOULD AIM AT SPEED WITH EFFICIENCY AND IN CASE OF A REJECT, TRANSFER HIS CASE IMMEDIATELY TO A RELIEF UNIT AND THE +QC♦ TO DECIDE WHETHER A NEW ID CARD SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WERE THANKED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY THE HON D.G. JEAFFRESON, FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE BILL.
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