XN000022-1978-02-02 — Page 5

NOTE TO EDITORS,

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1978

PRESS CONFERENCE ON TSUEN WAN

AND MTR EXTENSION PLANS ******

A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF A DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR NORTH TSUEN WAN AND THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY EXTENSION TO THE NEW TOWN WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE G.!.S. THEATRE, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE, FIFTH FLOOR TOMORROW (FRIDAY) AT 11 A.M.

PRESENT WILL BE THE MASS TRANSIT ADVISER, MR. ALAN WILKINS- THE TOWN MANAGER AND DISTRICT OFFICER, TSUEN WAN, MR. JIMMY HAYES THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING (ACTING), MR. BERNARD WILLIAMS- THE PROJECT MANAGER, TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN, MR. EDDIE SHORT- AND THE PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION, MR. JOHN GOLD.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO SEND REPRESENTATIVES TO ATTEND.

*

16 LAND EXÉCUTIVES RECEIVE CERTIFICATES

******

THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. JOHN TODD, HAD A PIECE OF GOOD NEWS FOR HIS LAND EXECUTIVES WHEN HE PRESENTED CERTIFICATES THIS AFTERNOON TO 16 OF THEM WHO HAD COMPLETED A TWO- YEAR COURSE IN LAND ADMINISTRATION,

MR. TODD TOLD THE GRADUATES THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH HAD AGREED TO REDUCE THE PROBATION PERIOD FOR LAND EXECUTIVES FROM THREE TO TWO YEARS.

+THIS WILL MEAN THAT AN EARLIER CONFIRMATION INCREMENT WILL BE AWARDED TO THOSE WHO JOINED THE LAND EXECUTIVE GRADE IN EARLY 1975 AND SIMILARLY WILL BENEFIT NEW APPOINTEES, HE SAID.

THE 16 GRADUATES WERE THE SECOND GROUP OF LAND EXECUTIVES TO HAVE COMPLETED THE PART-TIME DAY RELEASE COURSE JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC,

MR. TODD SAID THE COURSE WAS DESIGNED TO EQUIP NEWLY-APPOINTED LAND EXECUTIVES WITH THE TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND TRAINING TO DEAL WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF THE DAY-TO-DAY WORK OF A DISTRICT OFFICE.

+WE ARE ALL AWARE OF THE MASSIVE DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES AND CONSTRUCTION OF NEW TOWNS THAT ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE SAID.

HE TOLD THE GRADUATES: +THOSE OF YOU IN DISTRICT OFFICES WILL BE CALLED UPON TO EXERCISE THE SPECIALISED KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE WHICH I AM SURE THIS COURSE HAS HELPED TO PROVIDE.+

AT PRESENT, 70 OTHER LAND EXECUTIVES ARE ATTENDING THE THIRD AND FOURTH COURSES, WHICH INCLUDE TRAINING IN VALUATION OF LAND AND BUILDING, LAND SURVEYING AND MAP INTERPRETATION AND LAW RELATED TO LAND ADMINISTRATION.