FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1987
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NEW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER AND OFFICES APPROVED
*****
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED A SCHEME TO CONSTRUCT A NEW COUNCIL CHAMBER AND ANCILLARY OFF ICES, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE EXISTING COUNCIL CHAMBER WAS TOO SMALL TO SEAT MEMBERS COMFORTABLY, AND SUFFERED FROM POOR ACOUSTICS, SPACE WAS ALSO LIMITED IN THE ATTENDEES' WAITING ROOM AND THE OFFICES OF THE COUNCILS DIVISION, HE ADDED.
THE NEW FACILITY WOULD BE LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT TO THE EAST OF THE EXISTING CHAMBER,
IT WOULD INCLUDE A NEW AND LARGER CHAMBER WITH FACILITIES FOR VISUAL PRESENTATIONS AND A SOUND ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM, A MORE SPACIOUS ATTENDEES' ROOM, LARGER WASHROOMS AND LARGER ANCILLARY OFFICES.
+THE SCHEME IS EXPECTED TO COST AROUND $8.2 MILLION, AND FUNDS WILL BE SOUGHT FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LÉGISLATIVE COUNCIL, + THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
HE ADDED THAT THE SCHEME, WHICH WOULD TAKE ABOUT 15 MONTHS TO COMPLETE, WAS PART OF AN ONGOING PROJECT TO REFURBISH THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT.
PROPORTION OF LOWER TAR CIGARETTES UP AGAIN *****
THE PROPORTION OF LOWER TAR CIGARETTES WAS GOING UP AGAIN, ACCORDING TO LATEST FIGURES PUBLISHED TODAY (FRIDAY) BY THE GOVERNMENT ON THE TAR AND NICOTINE CONTENT OF CIGARETTES SOLD IN HONG KONG.
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THIS WAS A CONTINUATION OF AN ENCOURAGING TREND.
+MEDICAL OPINION IS COMPARATIVELY FIRM ON THE LESSER RISKS OF LOWER TAR, HE EXPLAINED.
HOWEVER, THE AVERAGE YIELD OF NICOTINE, THE ADDICTIVE ELEMENT IN CIGARETTES, HAD GONE UP SLIGHTLY AFTER FALLING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND THERE WERE MORE BRANDS ON THE MARKET, DESPITE THE OVERALL DECLINE IN SMOKERS.
+THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOT SMOKING AT ALL AND SMOKING LOW TAR IS FAR MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN THAT BETWEEN SMOKING LOW AND HIGH TAR CIGARETTES,+ HE STRESSED.
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