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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1984
+THAT IS WHY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS SO MANY LONG SERVING OFFICERS ON ITS ESTABLISHMENT,+ SIR PHILIP SAID.
IN PRESENTING LONG SERVICE MEDALS AND CLASPS TO 109 OFFICERS OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT THE SHEUNG WAN FIRE STATION THIS AFTERNOON, SIR PHILIP SAID, THE MEDALS AND CLASPS REPRESENTED 2 300 YEARS OF GOOD CONDUCT AND LOYAL SERVICE.+
THE PRESENTATION, SIR PHILIP SAID, GAVE HIM THE CHANCE TO SPEAK BRIEFLY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DEPARTMENT AND THE ADMIRABLE WAY IN WHICH IT CARRIED OUT ITS WORK.
+IN ANY COMMUNITY, THE FIREMAN PERFORMS AN ESSENTIAL DUTY WHICH REQUIRES SKILL, TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, DETERMINATION, PHYSICAL FITNESS AND COURAGE OF A HIGH ORDER. HIS ROLE IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF HONG KONG, SIR PHILIP STRESSED.
+
SIR PHILIP WAS LATER PRESENTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES, MR ROBERT HOLMES, WITH AN ALBUM OF PICTURES TAKEN DURING SIR PHILIP'S VISIT TO THE FIFTH ALARM FIRE AT ABERDEEN LAST MONTH.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS CONCERNING CIVIL SERVANTS ARRANGEMENTS HE MENTIONED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR PHILIP SAID THAT HE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE SO-CALLED LOCALISATION AND ABOUT RECRUITMENT POLICY, AND THAT THESE WERE IN PARAGRAPHS 31 TO 34 OF HIS SPEECH.
+YOU READ IT. IT'S VERY CLEAR,+ SIR PHILIP SAID.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION CONCERNING HIS LETTER TO CIVIL SERVANTS, SIR PHILIP SAID THAT HE HAD SENT A LETTER TO ALL CIVIL SERVANTS AFTER THE DRAFT AGREEMENT HAD BEEN SIGNED, EXPLAINING THE AGREEMENT AND ASKING THEM TO READ THE WHITE PAPER CAREFULLY.
SINCE THEN, MANY, MANY CIVIL SERVANTS ASSOCIATIONS AND MANY INDIVIDUAL CIVIL SERVANTS+ HAD PUT IN REPRESENTATIONS AND COMMENTS, HE SAID.
+ SIMPLY SAID THERE WERE CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS FOR EXPATRIATES IN THE AGREEMENT AND THAT SUITABLE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE YET TO BE WORKED OUT.
+AND CLEARLY SUITABLE ARRANGEMENTS WOULD HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT. BUT YOU KNOW, IT IS EARLY DAYS YET. WE HAVE GOT 12 TO 13 YEARS TO GO BEFORE 1997, SIR PHILIP SAID.
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