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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1985
+THEY HAVE METHODS OF CO-ORDINATING THEIR BUILDING, ZONING, FIRE AND HEALTH REGULATIONS THAT RESULT IN MUCH FASTER PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS, SAID MR CHEONG-LEEN.
+WE WILL NOW HAVE TO LOOK INTO WHETHER SUCH METHODS COULD BE ADAPTED TO WORK IN WITH PROPOSED CHANGES TO OUR REGULATIONS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE PIPELINE.+
CONCERNING BREACHES OF HEALTH REGULATIONS BY RESTAURANT OPERATORS, THESE CITIES TOOK A MUCH HARDER LINE ON DIRTY RESTAURANTS, SUSPENDING LICENCES FOR LONGER PERIODS THAN WAS THE CASE IN HONG KONG.
TURNING TO RECREATIONAL FACILITIES, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THAT AMERICAN CITIES, VANCOUVER IN PARTICULAR, MADE CONSIDERABLE USE OF VOLUNTEER WORKERS, PARTICULARLY FOR WEEKEND AND HOLIDAY COMMITMENTS WHEN VENUES WERE HEAVILY USED BUT STAFF HAD TO BE PAID OVERTIME.
+THIS IS AN APPROACH WORTH LOOKING INTO, HE SAID.
ON STREET HAWKING, MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID THAT THIS WAS A PROBLEM THAT WAS FAST EMERGING IN TORONTO.
+HERE IS A CASE WHERE OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE VALUABLE TO THEM, HE SAID.
+WE WILL BE SENDING THEM COPIES OF THE REPORT OF THE WORKING PARTY ON HAWKER AND RELATED PROBLEMS, AND HOPE THAT ITS RECOMMENDATIONS MIGHT ENABLE THEM TO HEAD OFF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED IN HONG KONG.+
A SECOND PARTY, HEADED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF CULTURE SELECT COMMITTEE, MR LAWRENCE FUNG AND DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR AUGUSTINE CHUI KAM, HAD MADE GAINFUL VISITS TO SEVERAL MUSEUMS AND RELATED INSTITUTIONS IN NORTH AMERICAN CITIES TO SEE THE NEWEST DEVELOPMENTS IN MUSEUM DESIGN AND PHILOSOPHY,
+THE GENEROUS CO-OPERATION OF MUSEUM AUTHORITIES IN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES HAS ENSURED THAT OUR ONCOMING MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY WILL INCORPORATE THE VERY LATEST IN THINKING ON MUSEUM DESIGN, SAID MR CHEONG-LEEN.
FINALLY, THE VISIT HAD CEMENTED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE THREE CITIES OF NORTH AMERICA WITH LARGE CHINESE POPULATIONS, MANY OF THEM MIGRANTS FROM HONG KONG.
IN ALL THREE CITIES -- VANCOUVER, TORONTO AND SAN FRANCISCO -- THE PARTY HAD NOT ONLY REFRESHED CONTACT WITH CHINESE COMMUNITIES BUT, IN A BUSINESS SENSE, HAD DONE MUCH TO ENCOURAGE FURTHER CANADIAN PARTICIPATION IN HONG KONG'S CONTINUING SUCCESS STORY.
/+INTEREST IN