FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1994
12
MR BLAKE ALSO SAID A SUBMISSION WOULD BE MADE TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO ALLOCATE INITIALLY $6.8 BILLION AS GOVERNMENT CAPITAL INJECTION INTO THE TRADING FUND.
THE GOVERNMENT AIMED TO START AWARDING CONTRACTS FOR THE HIGH FRIORITY PROGRAMME IN MARCH.
THE GOVERNMENT WILL FUND THE $12 BILLION CAPITAL PROGRAMME IN FULL, WHICH WILL INCLUDE $8 BILLION FOR THE HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAMME AND $4 BILLION FOR OTHER SEWERAGE PROJECTS.
THE TRADING FUND WILL ESTABLISHED BY RESOLUTION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNDER THE TRADING FUNDS ORDINANCE.
THE
LFGAL AMENDMENTS TO EFFECT CONTINUED CEMFTERY MANAGEMENT
THE
GOVERNMENT PROPOSES LEGAL AMENDMENTS TO ENABLE THE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION (CWGC) TO CONTINUE ITS INDEPENDENT OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF ITS CEMETERIES IN HONG KONG.
THE PROPOSAL, CONTAINED IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1994, WAS GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY).
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID: "THE CWGC, AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION FOUNDED IN 1917 BY THE ROYAL CHARTER, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND CARE OF GRAVES AND MEMORIALS OF THOSE WHO DIED WHILE SERVING IN COMMONWEALTH FORCES IN THE TWO WORLD WARS."
IT MAINTAINS INDEPENDENTLY IN HONG KONG TWO WAR CEMETERIES THE SAI WAN WAR CEMETERY AND THE STANLEY MILITARY CEMETERY.
SIMILAR TO ALL OTHER LOCAL CEMETERIES, KHETHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, THESE TWO CWGC CEMETERIES ARE REGULATED AND CONTROLLED UNDER THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES ORDINANCE AND ITS SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID: "IN THIS LEGISLATION, LITTLE DISTINCTION IS MADE BETWEEN THE POWERS OF THE AUTHORITIES IN RESPECT OF PUBLIC CEMETERIES AND THOSE OF THE CWGC IN RESPECT OF THE CWGC CEMETERIES.
"HOWEVER, IN PRACTICE, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY INTERFERENCE WITH THE CWGC'S INDEPENDENT OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE CEMETERIES IN QUESTION."
THEREFORE, IT
THE
IS CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE TO AMEND LEGISLATION TO REFLECT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE THE EXISTING LONG-STANDING PRACTICE OF MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF THESE WAR GRAVES, HE ADDED.
THE PROPOSED BILL
WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THE
COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 2.
0
/13
LEGISLATIVE