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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1988
"THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS ARE
PRIVATE PATIENTS AND NON-ENTITLED PERSONS, FROM WHOM THE FULL COST OF TREATMENT IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS OR CLINICS IS RECOVERED.
"GIVEN THIS POLICY, THERE SEEMS TO BE NO JUSTIFICATION FOR SINGLING OUT A PARTICULAR CATEGORY OF ENTITLED PERSONS FOR DISCRIMINATORY TREATMENT.
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MR CHAU SAID THE FACT THAT EXPENSES FOR SOME PATIENTS WERE COVERED BY INSURANCE OR ASSISTANCE SCHEMES WAS NOT REALLY RELEVANT.
ACID RAIN NOT CAUSING GREAT IMPACT
THE IMPACT CAUSED BY ACID RAIN IN HONG KONG 18 NOT GREAT, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT'S ASSESSMENT.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY {WEDNESDAY), IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM PROF THE HON POON CHUNG-KWONG.
MR BARNES SAID THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN MONITORING ACID RAIN FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND THE LEVEL OF RAINFALL ACIDITY HAD NOT INCREASED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT ACID RAIN, BY ITSELF, WAS NOT KNOWN ΤΟ HAVE ANY IMPORTANT DIRECT ADVERSE EFFECTS ON PUBLIC HEALTH, NOR WAS THE LEVEL OF RAINFALL ACIDITY HIGH ENOUGH TO BE RESPONSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE LOCAL VEGETATION OR AGRICULTURE.
FOR
AIR
"HOWEVER, ACID RAIN, WHEN COMBINED WITH OTHER COMMON POLLUTANTS, IS CERTAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CORROSIVE ATTACKS ON BUILDING MATERIALS," HE SAID.
MR BARNES ADDED THAT THE PRINCIPAL MEASURES, WHICH WOULD HELP TO REDUCE THE ACIDITY OF LOCAL RAINFALL, WERE IN FACT THOSE MEASURES BEING TAKEN TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY GENERALLY.
"THEY INCLUDE THE REQUIREMENT OF THE NEW COAL-FIRED POWER STATIONS TO USE COAL OF LESS THAN ONE PER CENT SULPHUR CONTENT, AND PLANS TO CONTROL THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF FUEL OIL USED BY LOCAL INDUSTRIES AND THE EMISSION OF ACIDIC GASES FROM MOTOR VEHICLES," HE SAID.
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