WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1993
HOMES FOR ELDERLY ADVISED ON FIRE SAFETY
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THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT HAS VISITED ABOUT 90 PER CENT OF 392 PRIVATE HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY AFTER THE FIRE BOMB ATTACK ON A PRIVATE HOME LAST MONTH, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY),
IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON LEONG CHE-HUNG, MRS WONG SAID THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION WAS ALLEGED TO BE A CASE OF ARSON, NOT A CASE OF "FIRE BREAKING OUT" AS STATED IN DR LEONG'S QUESTION,
FOR
"HOWEVER, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN ALERT TO THE NEED FIRE SAFETY IN RESIDENTIAL HOMES ACCOMMODATING PEOPLE WITH POOR MOBILITY," SHE SAID.
IN MAY THIS YEAR, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT ISSUED TO ALL OPERATORS OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES, INCLUDING PRIVATE CARE HOMES FOR ELDERLY PERSONS, A LETTER REMINDING THEM TO OBSERVE FIRE PREVENTION MEASURES.
THIS WILL BE RE-ISSUED FROM TIME TO TIME.
ADVISE OPERATORS ON
THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL ALSO ENHANCED FIRE SAFETY MEASURES AS APPROPRIATE, MRS WONG ADDED.
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PLEADINGS IN CHINESE IN COURT EXPLAINED
IT WAS A MATTER FOR THE COURT'S DISCRETION ΤΟ DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO PERMIT PLEADINGS TO BE IN CHINESE AND IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SPECULATE UPON THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE COURT WOULD OR WOULD NOT EXERCISE ITS POWERS TO PERMIT PLEADINGS IN CHINESE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JEREMY MATHEWS, SAID.
REPLYING TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR MATHEWS SAID SECTION 5 OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ORDINANCE PROVIDED THAT PROCEEDINGS IN THE COURT OF APPEAL, THE HIGH COURT AND THE DISTRICT COURT SHOULD BE DUCTED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
THERE WAS NO DEFINITION OF THE WORD "PROCEEDINGS" BUT GENERALLY ACCEPTED THAT PLEADINGS WERE INCLUDED.
HE SAID BEFORE THE HIGH COURT CASE OF GAMMON CONSTRUCTION LTD V CHO HING YIU SEPTEMBER 1988, IT HAD BEEN PRACTICE FOR PLEADINGS TO BE IN ENGLISH.
IT WAS
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