XN000022-1974-08-14 — Page 33

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1974

EXPLANATORY NOTES ON NEW BILL

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COMPREHENSIVE EXPLANATORY NOTES OF THE COMPANIES

(AMENDMENT) BILL WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE, IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE, AT ALL CITY DISTRICT OFFICES AND PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS OF THE COMPANIES REGISTRY FOR THOSE WHO NEED THEM.

THE NOTES WILL BE IN THE FORM OF THE EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM WHICH ACCOMPANIES THE BILL.

THE MOVE WAS OUTLINED BY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, IN RESPONSE TO A SUGGESTION BY THE HON. LEE QUO-WEI FOR A BI-LINGUAL CIRCULAR EXPLAINING THE NEW REQUIREMENTS TO BE SENT TO ALL COMPANIES AFFECTED.

MR. HADDON-CAVE AGREED THAT THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL SHOULD BE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD, BUT HE DOUBTED WHETHER IT WAS POSSIBLE TO PRODUCE A MORE INFORMATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE BILL'S PROVISIONS THAN THAT CONTAINED IN THE EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM.

ANY AMEMDMENT TO THE BILL WOULD BE INCORPORATED IN THE EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM AND THESE WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE CITY DISTRICT OFFICES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

REMOVAL OF URBCO LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT WELCOMED

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M THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN TODAY DESCRIBED THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTION IN REMOVING ALL REFERENCE TO LANGUAGE QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEMBERS HIP TO THE URBAN COUNCIL AS ONE FURTHER STEP TO PUT THE CHINESE LANGUAGE ON AN EQUAL BASIS WITH THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

HE HOPED THAT THE MOVE WOULD ENCOURAGE MORE PERSONS WHO ARE NOT PROFICIENT IN ENGLISH TO COME FORWARD AND OFFER THEMSELVES FOR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY BY WAY OF THE COUNCIL.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE URBAN COUNCIL CAMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1974, MR. CHEONG-LEEN SAID HE WAS SATISFIED THAT +NO UNDUE RISK IS TAKEN SO LONG AS THE URBAN COUNCIL EXERCISES ITS POWER UNDER THE ORDINANCE TO MAKE STANDING ORDERS REQUIRING THE USE ONLY OF THOSE LANGUAGES WHICH ARE PRACTICAL FOR COUNCIL BUSINESS, AND WHICH AT PRESENT ARE CANTONESE AND ENGLISH.+

HE NOTED THAT SOME URBAN COUNCILLORS WERE IN FAVOUR OF INTRO- DUCING THE USE OF THE MANDARIN DIALECT AT AN EARLY DATE. WHILE HE FAVOURED THE IDEA IN PRINCIPLE, MR. CHEONG-LEEN FELT THAT THE URBAN COUNCIL IN THIS RESPECT HAD TO GO ABOUT IT IN A CAREFUL, SYSTEMATIC AND EMPIRICAL MANNER.+

HE ADDED: +THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEM IN THE URBAN COUNCIL IS TO GIVE THE INTERPRETERS MUCH MORE EXPERIENCE IN UNDERSTANDING AND ACCURATELY INTERPRETING THE COLOURFUL VARIETY OF CANTONESE SPOKEN, WHICH INCLUDES HONG KONG CANTONESE, SHANGHAI CANTONESE, WESTERNERS' CANTONESE, OVERSEAS CHINESE CANTONESE, AND EVEN SHAMEEN CANTONESE.+

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