XN000022-1976-07-07 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1976

IN REPLY THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. PHILIP

HADDON-CAVE, SAID IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO APPOINT A METRICATION ADVISORY BOARD WHICH WOULD COMMAND RESPECT BOTH IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT, AND WHOSE ADVICE WOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

HE SAID THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE METRICATION COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS IN THIS RESPECT WERE NOT VERY SUBSTANTIAL. +ESSENTIALLY THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WILL BE THAT THE BOARD WILL NOT BE AUTONOMOUS AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE THE FINAL WORD,+ HE SAID,

+BUT IN A MATTER AS IMPORTANT AS THIS, AND GIVEN THE WAY WE NORMALLY ARRANGE MATTERS IN HONG KONG WITH THE HELP OF ADVISORY BODIES WHOSE ADVICE IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE GOVERNMENT, I THINK THAT THIS ARRANGEMENT IS BEST SUITED TO OUR

CIRCUMSTANCES,+ HE ADDED.

MR. HADDON-CAVE POINTED OUT THAT A GREAT DEAL OF WORK TOWARDS METRICATION HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE WITHIN DEPARTMENTS, BUT THAT THE FURTHER WORK NEEDED WOULD REQUIRE CO-ORDINATION OF THE METRICATION UNIT.

WHEN THE UNIT IS STRENGTHENED AND WHEN THE METRICATION ADVISORY BOARD IS ESTABLISHED, THE BOARD AND THE UNIT TOGETHER COULD BEGIN THE TASK OF INTRODUCING METRICATION THROUGHOUT HONG KONG GENERALLY, HE ADDED.

HE AGREED WITH DR. CHUNG THAT THE WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ORDINANCE WAS OUT OF DATE AND SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY PUT IN HAND A REVIEW OF ITS PROVISIONS.

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THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STANDARDS BUREAU, AS WELL AS PUBLICATION OF THE REPORTS PREPARED BY THE METRICATION COMMITTEE, ARE ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION, HE ADDED.

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