(e)
- 32 -
As regards the types of jobs requiring imported workers in 1996, it is not possible to break down the estimated total by types/categories of workers, because the actual types of workers vary with the methods of construction, and they also vary from one contractor to another.
An assessment of the impact on construction wages of a shortage in the supply of construction site workers has revealed that if the additional 17,000 imported workers under the Phase 1 of the revised quota ceiling are not available, it is likely that the wage level of the construction industry as a whole will increase more rapidly than it otherwise will by around 3 percentage points in 1995, 7 percentage points in 1996 when construction works on ACP projects reach their peak and 2.5 percentage points when ACP works advance towards completion. It also shows that even with the interim expanded quota ceiling, construction wages in the next couple of years can still be expected to increase at a faster rate than in the past two years.
End/Wednesday, January 11, 1995
Arrest of illegal immigrants
**
Following is a question by the Hon James To Kun-sun and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Alistair Asprey, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
There have been a number of robberies committed by illegal immigrants (IIs) in remote villages in the New Territories in recent months, causing great concern among the villagers. In connection with this, will the Government inform this Council:-
(a)
of the IIs arrested in each of the past six months, how many have been involved in robbery cases, and what is the number of such cases per month; and how do these figures compare with those of the same period last year;
(b) how many IIs were intercepted by the Police near the border in the past six months and how does this figure compare with that of the same period last year;