XN000022-1977-12-21 — Page 19

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1977

ALSO SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE HON. LEUNG TAT-SHING SAID: THE AMOUNT OF MEDICAL EXPENSES THAT CAN BE REIMBURSED AND THE PERIOD OF TIME FOR CLAIMING REIMBURSEMENTS AS PROPOSED IN THE BILL ARE CONSIDERED REASONABLE AND ACCEPTABLE IN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.+

+

+HOWEVER, + THE ADDED, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT REGULAR REVIEWS OF THOSE BENEFITS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BY THE AUTHORITY CONCERNED.+

QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM TO BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY

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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DENYS ROBERTS SAID TODAY THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STADIUM DUE FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF 1979, WOULD BRING +SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY IN GENERAL AND TO OUR YOUNG SPORTSMEN IN PARTICULAR.+

SPEAKING AT THE STADIUM'S FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY, SIR DENYS SAID THE COMMUNITY OWED A GREAT DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO THE DONORS TO THE ROYAL VISIT COMMEMORATIVE FUND IN WHICH $10 MILLION WAS RAISED FOR THIS $42 MILLION PROJECT.

HE SAID THESE DONORS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE MAIN CREDIT FOR BRINGING THIS EXCITING PROJECT TO LIFE.

SIR DENYS NOTED THAT APART FROM THE $10 MILLION RAISED BY THE ROYAL VISIT FUND THE COST OF THE PROJECT WILL BE MET FROM THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE OF THE COMMEMORATIVE GOLD COIN, WHICH WAS MINTED TO MARK THE QUEEN'S VISIT, AND FROM CONTRIBUTIONS

BY THE GOVERNMENT AND THE URBAN COUNCIL.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY SIR DENYS ROBERTS:

+IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE TO LAY THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR THIS INDOOR STADIUM, WHICH, WITH HER MAJESTY'S CONSENT, WILL BE NAMED THE QUEEN ELIZABETH STAD | UM+,

+AS LONG AGO AS 1962, THE IDEA WAS FIRST CONCEIVED OF AN INDOOR SPORTS CENTRE FOR HONG KONG ISLAND. BUT IT WOULD PROBABLY STILL BE NO MORE THAN AN AMBITIOUS PLAN, BUT FOR THE GENEROSITY OF A NUMBER OF PUBLIC SPIRITED CITIZENS, LED BY SIR SHIU-KIN TANG, SIR RUN RUN SHAW, MR. LI DAK-SUM, MR. PONG DING-YUEN AND MANY OTHERS, WHO CONTRIBUTED MOST GENEROUSLY TO A FUND TO COMMEMORATE THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO HONG KONG IN 1975. THIS FUND AMOUNTS TO OVER $10 MILLION, ALL OF WHICH WILL BE DEVOTED TO THIS PROJECT. THIS ACT OF GENEROSITY HAS PROVIDED THE IMPETUS WHICH HAS TRANSFORMED A PROJECT INTO REALITY,

/+SINCE