WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1990
21
SPIRIT OF LANGUAGES ORDINANCE FOLLOWED
IN A RECENT SURVEY OF 64 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, NONE WAS FOUND TO REQUIRE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ADDRESS THEM ENGLISH.
FOR HOME AFFAIRS,
OF THEM ONLY IN
THE HON
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY PETER TSAO, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON DANIEL TSE AT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR TSAO POINTED OUT THAT ALL INCOMING CHINESE RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENTS WERE ANSWERED OR IN ENGLISH WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION ATTACHED.
THE
LETTERS WRITTEN IN EITHER IN CHINESE
"HOWEVER, A NUMBER OF DOCUMENTS RELATED TO TENDER, LAND, CONTRACT AND AGREEMENTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN TRANSLATED INTO CHINESE BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY AND LEGAL LIABILITIES INVOLVED.
"THE PROFESSIONS WHICH DEAL WITH THESE DOCUMENTS ARE
INVARIABLY VERSED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
"IN PRACTICE, THEREFORE, THE PUBLIC IS NOT INCONVENIENCED BY THESE EXCEPTIONS," MR TSAO SAID.
THE SECRETARY POINTED OUT THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LANGUAGES ORDINANCE HAD BEEN FOLLOWED AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WAS THAT ALL DOCUMENTS SHOULD EVENTUALLY BE BILINGUAL.
"WHEN STAFF RESOURCES PERMIT WE WILL REACH A POINT WHERE ALL DOCUMENTS WILL BE IN BOTH LANGUAGES, MR TSAO ADDED.
**
TEACHERS' PROVIDENT FUNDS WELL MANAGED
THE GRANTS SCHOOLS PROVIDENT FUND AND THE SUBSIDISED SCHOOLS PROVIDENT FUND ARE WELL MANAGED AS TO FUNDING, INVESTMENT AND LIQUIDITY, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON K.Y. YEUNG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR YEUNG WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON DAVID CHEUNG, WHO HAD ASKED WHAT SAFEGUARDS WERE AVAILABLE ΤΟ ENSURE THAT ALL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE PROVIDENT FUNDS WOULD RECEIVE PAYMENTS UNDER THE EXISTING TERMS UPON THEIR CEASING TO BE TEACHERS IN SUBVENTED SCHOOLS.
MR CHEUNG SAID TEACHERS IN SUBVENTED SCHOOLS WERE CONCERNED THAT CURRENT HIGH WASTAGE OF TEACHERS WOULD HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE OPERATION OF THEIR PROVIDENT FUNDS.
/MR YEUNG