XN000022-1977-03-16 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1977

NO CHANGE IN SCOPE OF SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS AT PRESENT FOR EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF THE COMMITTEE FOR SCIENTIFIC CO-ORDINATION WHICH HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING WELL, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID TODAY.

HE WAS REPLYING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN WHO HAD ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE STEPS TO EXPAND THE SCOPE OF THE COMMITTEE

INTO THAT OF AN INSTITUTE OR COUNCIL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

MR. JONES SAID THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMITTEE WERE BROAD AND COMPREHENSIVE AND ITS MEMBERSHIP COMPRISED REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THE RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, THE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND THE POLYTECHNIC.

+THE COMMITTEE, AS AT PRESENT CONSTITUTED, FULFILLS THE FUNCTION OF REVIEWING THE NEED IN HONG KONG FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND PROGRAMMES AND CONCENTRATING EFFORT WHERE IT IS MOST NEEDED,+ HE EXPLAINED.

+WE POSSESS NO HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND CANNOT BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, BUT IN SOME FIELDS, FOR EXAMPLE TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY AND TYPHOON STUDIES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE VERY RELEVANT TO HONG KONG, WE ARE RECOGNISED AS HAVING A SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE.

+THE COMMITTEE IS ALSO ABLE TO ADVISE WHERE HELP CAN BE SOUGHT FROM OVERSEAS IF ANY PARTICULAR PROBLEM ARISES, + HE ADDED.

FURTHERMORE, MR. JONES SAID, THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE WAS AVAILABLE TO GIVE ADVICE AS FAR AS OUR INDUSTRIES WERE CONCERNED. AS A RESULT OF MR. CHEONG-LEEN'S QUESTION, MR. JONES SAID HE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE WHO HAS AGREED TO INVITE SOMEONE FROM THE CENTRE TO JOIN THE COMMITTEE.

HE ADDED THAT A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT REVIEWING THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE WAS RECENTLY SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND WAS BEING PRINTED. WHEN IT IS READY HE WOULD ARRANGE FOR IT TO BE TABLED IN THE COUNCIL FOR THE

INFORMATION OF MEMBERS.

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