WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1984.
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BILL TO REMOVE LEGAL RELIC
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THE PUBLIC BUS SERVICES (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1984, SEEKING TO REPEAL A PROVISION THAT PUBLIC BUSES USED BY FRANCHISED COMPANY MUST BE OF COMMONWEALTH MANUFACTURE, WAS INTRODUCED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, THE HON E.P. HO, SAID THE PROVISION WAS A RELIC OF THE COMMONWEALTH PREFERENCE SCHEME WHICH WAS DISMANTLED IN 1975.
UNDER SECTION 17 OF THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE, UNLESS THE GOVERNOR PERMITS OTHERWISE, BUSES USED BY A FRANCHISED COMPANY FOR PROVIDING A PUBLIC BUS SERVICE MUST BE OF COMMONWEALTH MANUFACTURE.
+ALTHOUGH NO APPLICATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF A BUS MADE OUTSIDE THE COMMONWEALTH HAS EVER BEEN REFUSED, THIS SECTION NEVERTHELESS REPRESENTS A NON-TAR IFF BARRIER TO TRADE WHICH IS. INCONSISTENT WITH HONG KONG'S POLICY OF FREE TRADE AND FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE GATT, MR HO SAID.
+AS OUR STANDING IN GATT IS WHOLLY DEPENDENT ON THE CONSISTENCY OF OUR POLICY, AND THE EXAMPLE WE SET, THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE DELETION OF THIS OFFENDING CLAUSE IS ESSENTIAL,+ HE ADDED.
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
+
REVISED FEE FOR PRIVATE BILLS PROPOSED
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THE MAIN AMENDMENT IN THE PRIVATE BILLS (AMENDMENT) BILL WAS TO INCREASE THE FEE PAYABLE BY THE PROMOTERS OF A PRIVATE BILL, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS SAID TODAY.
THE PRESENT FEE OF $500 HAD BEEN FIXED AS LONG AGO AS 1915, WHEN THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE WAS FIRST ENACTED, HE SAID.
+WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME, IT HAS BECOME A DER ISORY SUM IN VIEW OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE INCURRED AT PUBLIC EXPENSE BY THE LAW DRAFTING DIVISION IN PROCESSING A PRIVATE BILL, + MR THOMAS SAID, MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THE PROPOSED FIGURE OF $25 000 WAS NOT COST-RELATED AS THE AMOUNT OF LEGAL DEPARTMENT WORK REQUIRED IN EACH CASE VARIED CONS IDERABLY. BUT IT SEEMED A REASONABLE SCALE FEE FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT INVOLVED IN THIS IMPORTANT WORK, HE SAID.
+ IN FACT, THE MAJORITY OF THE PRIVATE BILLS ARE FOR A CHARITABLE PURPOSE AND IN SUCH CASES THE CHIEF SECRETARY IS EMPOWERED TO WAIVE PAYMENT OF THE WHOLE OR ANY PART OF THE FEE,+ MR THOMAS SAID.
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
0
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