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Government's response towards sewage tunnels report
Commenting on a Chinese newspaper report today (Tuesday), a Government spokesman said: "Discussions are in progress with the contractors of the sewage tunnels of the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme's High Priority Programme with a view to solving the technical problems concerning the inflow of underground water.
"It is grossly untrue to suggest that the problems are related to inadequate feasibility studies. Nor is there any truth in the statement that the remedial work for the sewage tunnel project would cost $5 billion - $10 billion more."
The spokesman said the High Priority Programme of the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme is being built at a total cost of $9.4 billion. Of the 41 contracts under the programme, 12 have been completed, another 25 are on schedule for completion before July 1997. Work on the two remaining minor works contracts will commence in 1998.
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Draft guidelines on extra-curricula activities
The Education Department has issued draft Guidelines on Extra-curricula Activities in Schools for consultation with the education sector prior to the formal issue of the finalised Guidelines around January 1997.
The draft Guidelines, in English and Chinese versions, are being sent to schools for consultation until December 4, 1996.
The Guidelines are the work of a special task force, the Working Group on Guidelines on Extra-curricula Activities in Schools, which was set up in January 1996 under the chairmanship of a Principal Inspector of the Education Department.
The working group comprised representatives from the primary, secondary and tertiary education sectors, as well as the Hong Kong Extra-curricula Co-ordinators' Association.
The group set out to compile guidelines on the planning and implementation of extra-curricula activities in schools to enhance teachers' understanding of these activities from a broad perspective.