20
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1994
IN
BE
MORE
CONSIDERING WHETHER OTHER BOARDS & COMMITTEES CAN
THE OPEN, IT HAS TO BE BORNE IN MIND THAT THE BUSINESS TRANSACTED BY 350 ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES VARY GREATLY
SOME IN NATURE. HANDLE CONFIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON A REGULAR BASIS
AND RENDER ADVICE ON GENERAL ISSUES
DEAL WITH ROUTINE MATTERS. IT WOULD THEREFORE NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO APPLY
MEASURES
COMMITTEES TO MAKE THESE BOARDS AND OPEN. INDEED IT WOULD NOT BE REALISTIC TO EXPECT THAT SOME OF BOARDS CAN OPERATE PUBLICLY.
WHILE OTHERS
ACROSS-THE-BOARD
ANY
MORE THESE
FOR
AND
HAVING SAID THIS, WE RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY'S ASPIRATION EASIER ACCESS TO INFORMATION. I INTEND TO ASK POLICY SECRETARIES HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS TO EXAMINE THE NATURE AND OPERATION OF THE TO CONSIDER ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES UNDER THEIR PURVIEW AND WHICH BOARD OR COMMITTEE CAN BE MADE MORE OPEN. A KEY CONSIDERATION TO WHETHER THE IN THIS REGARD WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE AN ASSESSMENT AS RELEASE OF INFORMATION WOULD HAMPER THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF THE OR COMMITTEE, OR PREJUDICE THE FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AMONG WHERE THE POLICY SECRETARY OR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS THAT IS A CASE FOR A BOARD OR COMMITTEE TO BE MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC, SHE OR HE WOULD CONSULT THE BOARD OR COMMITTEE CONCERNED SEEK AGREEMENT TO PUT IN PLACE APPROPRIATE MEASURES.
BE
BOARD MEMBERS.
THERE
THE
AND
WOULD
OF RELEASES
THE OR
IN THE MEANTIME, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, WHERE POSSIBLE, ENCOURAGED
KEEP TO
MEDIA THE PUBLIC AND THE
INFORMED
PROGRESS OF
PRESS THEIR WORK EITHER BY WAY OF REGULAR PRESS BRIEFINGS.
RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
TSO
THE FOLLOWING IS A SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT MR HAIDER BARMA, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALFRED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):
MR PRESIDENT,
IN THE MOTION DEBATE HELD ON 9 MARCH THIS YEAR, I DID INFORM MEMBERS THAT WE HOPED TO FINALIZE THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WITHIN THREE MONTHS. THIS FORECAST HAS PROVEN TO BE OVER OPTIMISTIC. MORE TIME HAS BEEN REQUIRED FOR ADDITIONAL STUDIES, FOR EXAMPLE ON HOW BEST TO MEET THE TRAVEL NEEDS OF EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY ARISING FROM THE FINDINGS OF THE TASK FORCE ON LAND SUPPLY AND PROPERTY PRICES. INSOFAR AS THE NORTH WEST NEW TERRITORIES RAILWAY IS CONCERNED, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE WESTERN CORRIDOR RAILWAY, THIS REMAINS A HIGH PRIORITY UNDER OUR PROPOSED RAILWAY STRATEGY. I REMAIN CONFIDENT THAT DESPITE THE DELAY IN ANNOUNCING THE STRATEGY, IT CAN BE COMPLETED AND OPERATIONAL BY 2001.
/THE STRATEGY