5-
receive, examine, accept or reject applications for registration and renewal of registration as a registered veterinary surgeon, and
issue a code of practice, make rules for the professional conduct and discipline of registered veterinary surgeons and deal with disciplinary offences.
The Bill restricts the use of the description "registered veterinary surgeon" to those qualified to use it.
The Bill also provides for criminal offences relating to false representation and practising veterinary surgery without being registered, with a maximum penalty on conviction of a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year.
A spokesman for the Economic Services Branch said the proposals had been drawn up at the request of, and in consultation with, the profession.
The spokesman said the proposals would open the way for persons holding veterinary qualifications other than membership of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to practise as veterinary surgeons in Hong Kong provided that these qualifications were accepted by the Veterinary Surgeons Board (once it is established) as meeting its qualification standards for registration as a "registered veterinary surgeon".
The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on May 15.
End
Chemical waste treatment charges revised
The Governor-in-Council has approved that regulations should be made under the Waste Disposal Ordinance to revise charges for the use of services provided by the Chemical Waste Treatment Centre (CWTC) on Tsing Yi.
The fee revision will take account of the rise in operation costs according to the movement of the Consumer Price Index (B) and the declared policy that the charging levels will be increased gradually with a view to recovering the full variable operating cost (VOC) over a period of eight years after the charging scheme was introduced last
year.