WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1992
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BUSINESS COUNCIL SEEKS DIFFERENT VIEWS
THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR TH CHAU, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ASSURED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT VIEWS OF OTHER RELEVANT ORGANISATIONS, SUCH AS THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, WOULD BE SOUGHT AND TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THE GOVERNOR'S BUSINESS COUNCIL FORMULATED THE COMPETITION POLICY.
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU WAI-HING, MR CHAU SAID MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COUNCIL WERE PROMINENT BUSINESSMEN WHOSE BUSINESS INTERESTS WERE WELL-KNOWN TO THE GOVERNMENT.
"THUS THE VIEWS OFFERED BY INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ON COMPETITION CAN BE SEEN IN PERSPECTIVE, AND ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE POLICY FORMULATION PROCESS," HE SAID.
NUMBER OF PREGNANT WOMEN ARRIVING FROM CHINA INCREASING
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THE NUMBER OF PREGNANT WOMEN ARRIVING IN HONG KONG ON TWO-WAY PERMITS HAS BEEN INCREASING RECENTLY, AND THIS IS CAUSING THE GOVERNMENT SOME CONCERN.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI- YIN, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR ASPREY SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY ASKED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES NOT TO ISSUE PERMITS TO WOMEN AT AN ADVANCED STAGE OF PREGNANCY, AS IT APPEARED THAT THIS MIGHT BE AN ABUSE OF THE SYSTEM.
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WE ARE MONITORING THE SITUATION; IF THERE IS INCREASING ABUSE OF THIS APPARENT LOOPHOLE, WE MAY NEED TO INTRODUCE FURTHER CONTROLS, MR ASPREY SAID.
MR ASPREY SAID THE NUMBER OF BABIES REGISTERED AS BORN TO TWO- WAY PERMIT HOLDERS IN HONG KONG IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WAS: 1,746 IN 1990; 2,750 IN 1991 AND 3,527 IN THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.
HE ADDED THAT THE NUMBER OF TWO-WAY PERMIT HOLDERS VISITING HONG KONG OVER THE SAME PERIOD WAS 133,021 IN 1990, 140,378 IN 1991, AND 131,067 IN THE FIRST 10 MONTHS OF 1992.
HE SAID IF THE FATHER OF A BABY BORN IN HONG KONG HAD PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS IN HONG KONG, THE BABY WOULD ALSO HAVE THAT STATUS, AND THEREFORE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.
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