25.
The radio paging service industry currently employs about 9,000 people in Hong Kong. The Government is aware of the concerns of the employees of paging companies and has conducted studies on the issue. The result of our analysis indicated that it is unlikely, at current cost structure and operating conditions in the neighbouring regions, that there would be a mass migration of paging operator services outside Hong Kong. Due to keen competition in the paging market, in addition to the cost consideration, a paging company has to take into account other competitive factors, such as the risk of relying on a long-distance circuit to provide service, the availability of other technical and service backup support, and its ability to control the quality of service provided by an external operation centre, in deciding whether to relocate its operation centre outside Hong Kong. To discourage paging companies from making use of international private leased circuits as a pretext to move their operation centres to the neighbouring areas, the TA has made clear that he will monitor closely the quality of service provided by paging companies and should it appear to him that service standards to customers have deteriorated, following a relocation of operations outside Hong Kong, he will take appropriate action in accordance with the licence conditions.
End/Wednesday, July 26, 1995
First asylum policy
**
Following is a question by the Hon Emily Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
As Hong Kong has been troubled by the problem of Vietnamese boat people (VBP) for many years and there is no indication of a complete solution to the problem in the near future will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
(b)
whether consideration will be given to abolishing the first asylum policy and at the same time adopting the established screening procedures to determine the status of the VBP who have come to Hong Kong seeking political asylum;
of the deliberations and conclusions of the Geneva Conference held in 1994 and 1995 on the issue of "the abolition of the first asylum policy"; and