5 -
The total amount of additional fee income from the proposed increase in fees and charges for company windings-up is estimated to be $0.36 million per annum. This represents an average increase of just 0.8% when expressed as a percentage of the total liquidation income, estimated to be $46.8 million for 1997-98.
Mr President, I beg to move.
End
Mutual legal assistance in Criminal Matters Bill
Following is the speech by the acting Secretary for Security, Mrs Carrie Yau, in moving the second reading of the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday);
Mr President,
I move that the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill be read a second time.
Concerns about the escalation of transnational crime and the need for greater international cooperation to combat serious crime have resulted in a movement towards the establishment of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters (MLA) arrangements. Such arrangements, embodied in bilateral or multilateral agreements, ensure reciprocity and greatly enhance international cooperation for the control of criminality. With the agreement of the Chinese side in the Joint Liaison Group, we are establishing a network of bilateral agreements on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters which will remain in force beyond 30 June 1997. So far, we have signed agreements with Australia and the US.
The Bill provides the appropriate legal framework to enable Hong Kong to respond to a full range of requests for assistance comprehended by the new MLA agreements. The purpose is to enhance our cooperation with third countries in the investigation and prosecution of criminal offences including proceedings relating to confiscating the proceeds of crime. Specifically, the Bill covers the following kinds of assistance -
taking of evidence;
searching for and seizing items which are relevant to criminal matters;
producing documentary evidence relevant to criminal matters;