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THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 1984
THE PURPOSE OF THESE CHANGES IS TO REASSERT AND TO STRENGTHEN EPCOM'S POSITION AS THE PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF ADVICE TO THE GOVERNMENT ON POLLUTION MATTERS, BY HAVING ONE, CENTRAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, RATHER THAN A MULTIPLICITY OF SOURCES OF ADVICE, IT IS EXPECTED THAT GREATER COHESION WILL BE ACHIEVED AND MATTERS DEALT WITH MORE EXPEDITIOUSLY THAN IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE PRESENT STRUCTURE, TO THE BENEFIT OF THE CAUSE OF POLLUTION CONTROL. THE AUTHORITATIVE NATURE OF EPCOM'S ADVISORY ROLE IS IN THIS WAY CLEARLY ESTABLISHED.
THE COMMITTEE IS TO BE COMPOSED ENTIRELY ON UNOFFICIALS, BOTH TO EMPHASISE ITS INDEPENDENCE AND TO EQUIP IT FULLY TO CARRY OUT ITS PROPER TASK, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE TOP-LEVEL ADVICE TO THE GOVERNMENT FROM SOURCES NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN THE RANKS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE. EXPERTISE AVAILABLE ON EPCOM WILL, IN THIS WAY, COMPLEMENT THAT EXISTING WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. OFFICIALS WILL ATTEND THE COMMITTEE'S MEETINGS TO ASSIST MEMBERS IN THEIR DELIBERATIONS, WITH THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION BEING IN PERMANENT ATTENDANCE.
TO MAKE WAY FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW BLOOD, SIX MEMBERS OF EPCOM WILL BE RETIRING AT THE END OF THE PRESENT TERM: MR JOHN MARDEN, MR WALTER SULKE, MR HENRY LITTON, MR STEPHEN LAU, DR DANIEL NG AND DR KEITH LEGG. THEY HAVE BEEN ON THE COMMITTEE BETWEEN 7 AND 17 YEARS. A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN PAID TRIBUTE TO THE IR SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORK OF EPCOM OVER THE YEARS.
THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CHAIRED BY MR H.M.G. FORSGATE. WHO ALSO CHAIRS THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND IS VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL.
EPCOM WILL, FROM JULY 1, HAVE THREE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS AMONGST ITS MEMBERS. MR ANDREW SO, THE SOLE CURRENT LEGCO MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE, WILL BE JOINED BY MR CHARLES YEUNG FROM THE CLEAN HONG KONG STEERING COMMITTEE AND DR HENRIETTA IP WHO IS WELL KNOWN FOR HER INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS AND IS A MEMBER OF THE UMELCO ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS PANEL.
THERE IS ALSO TO BE A STRENGTHENING OF THE +GRASSROOTS+ ELEMENT, TOGETHER WITH A CONSCIOUS ATTEMPT TO BALANCE URBAN AND NEW TERRITORIES INPUT. TWO DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS ARE JOINING THE COMMITTEE MR AUGUSTINE NG OF THE TUEN MUN DISTRICT BOARD AND DR ALBERT CHEUNG OF THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BOARD, THE NEW TERRITORIES/URBAN AREA BALANCE IS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE APPOINTMENTS OF MR CHARLES YEUNG, A MEMBER OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK AS WELL AS BEING A LEGCO MEMBER, AND MR HOWARD YOUNG WHO IS ON THE URBAN COUNCIL. THESE MEMBERS WILL JOIN MR S.L. WAN OF THE CONSERVANCY ASSOCIATION, WHO IS ALREADY ON EPCOM AND WHO, THROUGH HIS ASSOCIATION, IS IN TOUCH WITH MANY OF THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO SHARE EPCOM'S CONCERN FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
/ACADEMIC EXPERTISE