WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1985
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KOWLOON TUNNEL ROUTE 'POSSIBLE*
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IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT DETAILED STUDIES OF BOTH TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVE ROUTES BEFORE SELECTING A NEW TUNNEL ALIGNMENT BETWEEN SHA TIN AND NORTH-EAST KOWLOON, ALTHOUGH PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATIONS INDICATED THAT A TUNNEL ROUTE WAS POSSIBLE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, THE HON IAN MACPHERSON TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SUCH STUDIES WOULD PROCEED AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE, HE ADDED.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG LAM, MR MACPHERSON SAID ALSO THAT HE HAD, IN FACT, ASKED FOR THE INCLUSION OF AN ITEM IN CATEGORY C OF THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME TO BE ENTITLED 'NEW ROAD LINK FROM SHA TIN TO THE URBAN AREAS'.
+ THE ADMINISTRATION IS VERY MUCH IN FAVOUR OF THIS PROJECT AND I HOPE IT CAN BE UPGRADED QUICKLY TO ENABLE DETAILED PLANNING TO BEGIN, HE SAID,
LATER ON, IT WOULD BE FOR CONSIDERATION WHETHER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY OF LIMITING PUBLIC SECTOR EXPENDITURE ON CAPITAL WORKS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, THIS MIGHT BE ANOTHER PROJECT FOR THE. PRIVATE SECTOR, HE SAID.
LESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT ILLEGAL DENTAL PRACTICES
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THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON ILLEGAL DENTAL PRACTICES HAD DROPPED IN THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR THE HON RUDY KHOO, SAID TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HENRIETTA IP, DR KHOO SAID THAT COMPLAINTS ABOUT ILLEGAL DENTAL PRACTICE HAD DROPPED FROM 80 IN 1979 TO 37 IN 1984.
THERE WAS NO OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE NUMBER OF PERSONS PRACTISING DENTISTRY ILLEGALLY, BECAUSE AS WITH OTHER INSTANCES OF ILLEGAL AND UNLICENSED PRACTICES, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN RELIABLE OR MEANINGFUL STATISTICS, HE SAID.
HE RECALLED THAT THE FIRST GROUP OF 59 DENTAL STUDENTS HAD GRADUATED FROM HONG KONG UNIVERSITY IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR AND HE FELT IT WAS TOO PREMATURE TO ASSESS THEIR IMPACT ON THE SUPPLY OF DENTISTS IN HONG KONG NOW+.
BUT HE ADDED THAT THE DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AGAINST ILLEGAL DENTAL PRACTICES COULD, PERHAPS, SERVE AS AN INDIRECT INDICATION OF THE EFFECT OF THE IMPROVING SUPPLY OF QUALIFIED DENTISTS IN HONG KONG.
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