ON
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1985
+ THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE SECTION IS THAT WHERE THE COURT IS REQUIRED TO APPOINT AN ARBITRATOR OR OR UMPIRE FOR CONSOLIDATED ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS, THE EXISTING PROVISION DOES NOT EXPRESSLY GIVE THE COURT POWER TO REMOVE ANY ARBITRATOR OR UMPIRE ALREADY APPOINTED TO ACT IN THE VARIOUS ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS WHICH THE COURT WISHES TO CONSOLIDATE, HE SAID.
MR THOMAS EXPLAINED THAT THE VERY PROBLEM HAD ARISEN IN A RECENT HIGH COURT CASE.
+ALTHOUGH IT WAS HELD THAT THE COURT DID HAVE THE POWER TO REMOVE AN EXISTING ARBITRATOR, IT HAD TO IMPLY THAT POWER FROM A LIBERAL READING OF THE SECTION IN THE ABSENCE OF EXPRESS PROVISION TO THAT EFFECT.
+AS A CONSEQUENCE, THE JUDICIARY HAS PROPOSED THAT THE SECTION BE AMENDED TO PUT BEYOND DOUBT THAT THE COURT'S POWER UNDER SECTION 6B(2) OF THE ARBITRATION ORDINANCE TO APPOINT AN ARBITRATOR OR UMPIRE FOR CONSOLIDATED PROCEEDINGS INCLUDES THE POWER TO REMOVE ANY EXISTING ARBITRATOR OR UMPIRE, SAID MR THOMAS.
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
RETAIL MARKETS ON TARGET TO METRICATION
****
METRICATION IN ALL RETAIL MARKETS WILL BE ATTAINED WHEN THERE IS WILLINGNESS AND A DESIRE ON THE PART OF BOTH THE RETAILERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR THIS CHANGE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, THE HON ERIC HO, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG, MR HO SAID THE METRICATION COMMITTEE HAD SINCE 1978 EMBARKED ON A PUBLICITY AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMME TO ENCOURAGE, HELP AND PERSUADE ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ADOPT THE METRIC SYSTEM AND USE METRIC UNITS.
+THE RATIONALE IS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL TREND IS TOWARDS METRICATION, HE SAID.
THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE COMMITTEE, MR HO SAID, MUCH PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE.
+ IN THREE OF THE FIVE BROAD TARGET AREAS IDENTIFIED BY THE COMMITTEE METRICATION HAS BEEN ACHIEVED: THESE ARE EDUCATION AND TRAINING, BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES.+
/+PROGRESS HAS