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Secretary for Transport to brief PC Economic Sub-group
On the invitation of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Preparatory Committee (PC) Secretariat, Secretary for Transport, Mr. Gordon Siu, will lead a delegation to give a briefing on the Western Corridor Railway and the Tseung Kwan O MTR Extension to the PC Economic Sub-group at its meeting in Peking on January 16 and 17.
The delegation will comprise the chairmen and representatives of the MTRC and KCRC.
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Heavier sentences for exploiting youngsters proposed
The Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill 1997, which seeks to stipulate heavier sentences for adult offenders convicted of drug offences involving persons under the age of 18, will be published in the Government Gazette on Friday (January 17).
In recent years, figures show that there has been a rapid increase in the number of young persons arrested for trafficking and manufacture of dangerous drugs. Between 1991 and 1995, the number was more than doubled, from 170 to 344.
The Commissioner for Narcotics, Mrs Clarie Lo, today (Wednesday) said: "There is evidence to show that drug traffickers are making increasing use of young persons in their illegal trade.
"Drug traffickers exploit young people as they are cheaper to employ, easier to control, less prone to attract police attention and more likely to receive lenient punishment if arrested."
The bill empowers the court to pass a more severe sentence on an adult offender convicted of a specified drug offence, if the court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt on the involvement of a minor in the commission of the specified offence.
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