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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1986
CHECKS KEPT ON PUBLIC UTILITY SERVICES
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THE MONITORING BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY PUBLIC UTILITY AND TRANSPORT COMPANIES WAS A CONTINUAL PROCESS, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, SIR JOHN BREMRIDGE SAID TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LEE YU-TAI ON HOW THE GOVERNMENT ENSURED PROMISES WERE FULFILLED BY PUBLIC UTILITY AND TRANSPORT COMPANIES, SIR JOHN SAID THE MONITORING WAS NOT LIMITED ONLY TO THOSE OCCASIONS ON WHICH A COMPANY APPLIED FOR AN INCREASE IN TARIFFS OR FARES.
+THERE IS REGULAR AND CLOSE LIAISON BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC UTILITY AND TRANSPORT COMPANIES TO ENSURE THAT THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE COMPANIES TAKES THE ACTION NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS SHOULD BE PROVIDED, HE SAID.
SIR JOHN EXPLAINED THAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICE PROVIDED BY PRIVATELY OWNED PUBLIC UTILITY AND TRANSPORT COMPANIES RESTED PRIVATELY WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THOSE COMPANIES.
THE COMMUNITY LOOKED TO THE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE MONOPOLY STYLE SERVICES PROVIDED WERE EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE AND WERE PROVIDED AT A REASONABLE COST.
PART.
IN THIS LATTER REGARD THE SCHEMES OF CONTROL PLAYED A MAJOR
SIR JOHN SAID, JUDGING BY COMMENTS IN THE MEDIA AND ELSEWHERE PUBLIC OPINION APPEARS TO INDICATE THAT WHILE THE QUALITY AND COST OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE ELECTRICITY AND TELEPHONE COMPANIES IS PRESENTLY ACCEPTABLE, THERE CONTINUES TO BE A DEGREE OF CONCERN ABOUT THE QUALITY OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE TRANSPORT COMPANIES.+
HIGH QUALITY REQUIRED OF TV
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IF THE COMMISSIONER FOR TELEVISION AND ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING FELT THAT A TELEVISION DRAMA CONTAINED SERIOUS HISTORICAL INACCURACIES AND THAT THE LICENSEE SHOULD BE WARNED OF THIS, HE WOULD FIRST WRITE TO THE LICENSEE CONCERNED, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SUCH A STEP, SIR DAVID EXPLAINED, WAS BASED ON SECTION 26 OF THE TELEVISION ORDINANCE, WHICH REQUIRES THAT PROGRAMMES BROADCAST BY COMMERCIAL LICENSEES 'MAINTAIN A HIGH GENERAL STANDARD OF QUALITY'.
/REPLYING TO