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The amendments put forward are technical in nature. Amendments to Clauses 4, 5, 49 (2) and 58 will remove several minor inconsistencies between the English and Chinese texts of the Bill. Amendments to Clauses 15 and 49 (4) seek to rectify two clerical errors. Amendments to Clauses 2 and 12 will clarify the scope of several provisions relating to explosives.
Mr Chairman, I beg to move.
End
Immigration Service (Amendment) Bill
Following is the speech by the acting Secretary for Security, Mrs Carrie Yau, at the resumption of the second reading debate of the Immigration Service (Amendment) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Mr President,
The Immigration Service (Amendment) Bill 1996 was introduced into this Council on February 7 this year. This Bill seeks to give members of the Immigration Service powers of investigation into offences relating to registration matters under the purview of the Immigration Service, and into certain forgery offences under the Crimes Ordinance, Cap. 200. It also seeks to regularise the procedures relating to the handling of persons arrested by members of the Immigration Service.
I am grateful to the Honourable Emily Lau and Members of the Bills Committee for the great care they have taken in scrutinising the Bill and the valuable suggestions that they have put forward during the Committee Stage.
This process has helped the Administration considerably to fine-tune the Bill to address possible concerns of the public with the additional powers to be conferred on the Immigration Service.
The major Committee Stage Amendments in respect of this Bill which we propose will help to safeguard the rights of individuals being investigated or arrested:-
(a)
First, in any case of detention taking place before formal arrest, we propose to provide for a maximum length of 12 hours;