XN000022-1977-07-13 — Page 10

- 9

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1977

THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES, REPLY TO DR. CHUNG AND DR. HU, SAID THAT IT WAS QUITE UNTRUE TO SAY THAT WHAT WAS DONE WAS DICTATED BY COMPUTER PROCEDURES.

IN

+ THE FACT IS THAT THE PROCEDURES WOULD BE THE SAME WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE UNDERTAKEN BY THE COMPUTER OR BY AN ARMY OF CLERICAL WORKERS AND THE REASON IS THAT, ONCE A SUMMONS IS ISSUED, THE MATTER THEN BECOMES ONE FOR THE COURT RATHER THAN FOR THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID,

+THESE PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN IN FORCE EVER SINCE 1971 AND THEY WERE AGREED BY THE THEN CHIEF JUSTICE AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AS BEING ESSENTIAL FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK, HE ADDED.

MR. JONES EXPLAINED IN DETAIL HOW THE PAYMENT PROCEDURES ACTUALLY WORKED: +FIRST OF ALL, THE MOTORIST WHO COMMITS AN OFFENCE FINDS ON HIS CAR A PARKING TICKET WHICH ALLOWS A PERIOD OF SEVEN DAYS FOR PAYMENT.

+ IF THIS IS NOT MET, A DEMAND NOTE FOR THE SAME AMOUNT IS ISSUED WHICH DEMANDS PAYMENT BY THE EXPIRY OF 21 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF ISSUE OF THE PARKING TICKET OR TEN DAYS FROM THE DATE OF THE DEMAND NOTE, WHICHEVER IS THE LATER.

+THE MOTORIST CONSEQUENTLY HAS A REMINDER PLUS A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD IN WHICH TO PAY THE PENALTY, AND THERE SHOULD NORMALLY THEREFORE BE NO LEGITIMATE REASON FOR NON-PAYMENT.+

HE ADDED THAT THERE WAS A FIVE-DAY +PERIOD OF GRACE+ AFTER THE LAST OFFICIAL DATE FOR PAYMENT TO THE TREASURY BEFORE THE SUMMONS WAS MADE BY THE COMPUTER, AND DURING THIS INTERVAL ALL LATE PAYMENTS WERE NOTIFIED BY THE TREASURY TO THE DATA PROCESSING DIVISION AND FED INTO THE COMPUTER.

J

+PAYMENT IS THEREFORE ACCEPTED BY THE GOVERNMENT AFTER THE DUE DATE. BUT IT CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE SUMMONS IS ISSUED, BECAUSE THE AMOUNT IS THEN DUE TO THE COURTS, NOT TO THE TREASURY,+ HE SAID.

HE HOPED HE HAD MADE CLEAR THAT OFFENDERS HAD AMPLE TIME TO PAY, THAT ONCE THE SUMMONS WAS ISSUED, DIFFERENT PAYMENT WAS DUE AND THE ORIGINAL PENALTY HAD TO BE REJECTED, AND THAT THE SYSTEM OPERATED AS FAIRLY AS ANY SYSTEM COULD.

+WHILST IT IS TRUE THAT, IF THE PENALTY AND THE COURT COSTS ARE PAID BEFORE THE SUMMONS IS RECEIVED BY THE OFFENDER, THIS HAS TO BE REJECTED BECAUSE THE SUMMONS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR CANCELLATION, SUCH CASES OF PAYMENT ARE RARE IN THE EXTREME,+ HE SAID.

/10

Page 10Page 11