XN000022-1976-03-10 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1976

FIRE RISKS IN MUSIC PARLOURS

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STATISTICS SUGGEST THAT THE USE OF PREMISES AS A MUSIC PARLOUR DOES NOT REPRESENT A GREATER FIRE RISK THAN ITS USE FOR OTHER PURPOSES, THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON. LEWIS DAVIES, SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. ALEX WU IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+ACCORDING TO FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT STATISTICS, THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN 12 FIRES REPORTED IN MUSIC PARLOURS IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, OUT OF A TOTAL OF 29,600 FIRES REPORTED IN DOMESTIC BUILDINGS, IN WHICH MUSIC PARLOURS ARE GENERALLY ESTABLISHED,+ HE SAID.

APART FROM THE RECENT FIRE IN MONG KOK IN WHICH FIVE DIED AND 20 OTHERS WERE INJURED, THE TOTAL CASUALTIES IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS IN MUSIC PARLOURS WAS NINE INJURIES.

MR. DAVIES SAID: THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A NEED FOR SPECIAL EFFORTS BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, IN ADDITION TO ITS NORMAL COVERAGE OF MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, WHERE MOST MUSIC PARLOURS ARE TO BE FOUND,

+OF COURSE, THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES WILL IN- VESTIGATE ANY COMPLAINT THAT A FIRE RISK EXISTS IN ANY PREMISES AND WILL TAKE ACTION TO ABATE IT, IF NECESSARY.+

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A COURSE IN PHARMACY FOR H.K. ******

THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE WILL BE ASKED TO CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING A COURSE IN PHARMACY AT AN EARLY DATE, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. LI FOOK-KOW, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

MR. LI WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION BY THE HON. ROGER LOBO ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ESTABLISH A RECOGNISED PHARMACY COURSE WHICH COULD BE TAKEN LOCALLY.

MR. LI SAID HE BELIEVED THAT IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO HAVE A COURSE IN PHARMACY LOCALLY, IN ORDER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE POISONS REGULATIONS.+

ACCORDINGLY, HE SAID HE WOULD ASK THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER WHETHER SUCH A COURSE COULD BE INTRODUCED AT AN EARLY DATE IN VIEW OF OTHER PRIORITIES AND WHETHER IT SHOULD BE PROVIDED IN ONE OF THE UNIVERSITIES OR THE POLYTECHNIC,

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