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FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1983
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MONITORING THE FORMULATION OF A ROLLING PROGRAMME TO RATIONALISE TEMPORARY USE OF LAND IN RESPECT OF SITES ZONED FOR GIC PURPOSES ;
REVIEWING THE ALTERNATIVE USES OF
INDUSTRIAL LAND IN THE LIGHT OF POSSIBLE SUBSTANTIAL SUPPLY OVER REQUIREMENTS AND THE IMPLICATIONS OF INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUING TO BE CONCENTRATED IN THE MAIN URBAN AREAS AND EXAMINING WAYS IN WHICH DECENTRALISATION COULD BE ACHIEVED;
EXAMINING THE FEASIBILITY OF COMMERCIAL OFFICE DECENTRALISATION,
THE GOVERNOR HAS APPROVED THE APPOINTMENT OF THE HON W.C.L. BROWN, WHO HAS SERVED AS A MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE SINCE MAY 1980, TO SUCCEED THE HON LYDIA DUNN, AS THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE PERIOD JUNE 1, 1983 TO MAY 31, 1984.
THE DECISION WAS MADE FOLLOWING A REQUEST BY THE CURRENT CHAIRMAN TO BE RELIEVED OF SOME OF HER COMMITMENTS IN VIEW OF HER NEW APPOINTMENT AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. THE OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE,
MR W.M. SULKE, MR GEOFFREY YEH, MR R.C.Y. POON AND MR R.J. OSBORN, HAVE ALSO BEEN REAPPOINTED.
IN ANNOUNCING THE APPOINTMENTS, THE GOVERNMENT HAS EMPHASISED THE USEFULNESS OF THE COMMITTEE IN PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR CONSIDERATION OF LAND NEEDS AND FOR AN APPRAISAL OF PROCEDURES FOR LAND PRODUCTION AND AS A MONITOR OF GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE IN THIS FIELD. THE COMMITTEE, UNDER THE NEW CHAIRMAN, 18 EXPECTED TO SUBMIT ITS NEXT REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR IN APRIL 1984.
LABOUR FORCE FIGURES FOR JANUARY-MARCH QUARTER
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THE SEASONALLY ADJUSTED UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FOR THE QUARTER JANUARY - MARCH 1983 WAS 5.1 PER CENT, WHICH COMPARES WITH 3.9 PER CENT FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 1982, AND 3.4 PER CENT FOR THE QUARTER ENDING MARCH LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO FIGURES RELEASED TODAY BY THE CENSUS AND STATISTICS DEPARTMENT.
THE INCREASES OF 1.2 PERCENTAGE POINTS AND 1.7 PERCENTAGE POINTS RESPECTIVELY, COMPARED WITH THE TWO EARLIER QUARTERS, ARE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT.
THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED PERSONS IN THE QUARTER ENDING MARCH 1983 WAS PROVISIONALLY ESTIMATED TO BE 127 000, AS COMPARED WITH 98 700 FOR THE PREVIOUS QUARTER, AND 83 400 FOR THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR.
/THE UNDEREMPLOYMENT