XN000022-1980-01-16 — Page 13

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1980

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MR HENDERSON SAID INVESTIGATIONS INTO RECENT SERIOUS ACCIDENTS HAD NOT SHOWN, HOWEVER, THAT THE CONSTRUCTION SITES (SAFETY) REGULATIONS WERE NECESSARILY DEFECTIVE.

+HOWEVER, THE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE NOT YET ALL BEEN COMPLETED. IF THEY DO REVEAL ANY DEFECTS IN THE LEGISLATION I WILL CERTAINLY CONSIDER AMENDING THE REGULATIONS.

+ IN SOME CASES THE REGULATIONS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY OBSERVED AND IF OUR INVESTIGATIONS SHOW THIS TO BE THE CASE, LEGAL ACTION WILL BE TAKEN AGAINST THE OFFENDERS,+ HE ADDED.

EARLIER, MR HENDERSON EXPLAINED THE CONTROL PROVIDED BY THE REGULATIONS ON PASSENGER HOISTS AND CRADLES USED ON CONSTRUCTION SITES.

BEFORE THE HOISTS WERE PUT INTO USE, HE SAID, THEY WERE REQUIRED TO BE TESTED AND THOROUGHLY EXAMINED BY A COMPETENT EXAMINER AND THEREAFTER TO BE THOROUGHLY EXAMINED EVERY SIX MONTHS,

IF A HOIST WAS REMOVED TO A NEW LOCATION OR AFTER EXTENSIVE ALTERATION OR REPAIR, IT MUST BE TESTED AND THOROUGHLY EXAMINED AGAIN BEFORE BEING PUT INTO USE.

SUSPENSION PLATFORMS, INCLUDING CRADLES, MUST BE SIMILARLY EXAMINED BEFORE USE AND THEREAFTER WITHIN EVERY 14 MONTHS.

THE REGULATIONS ALSO CONTAINED PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE EXAMINATION AND SAFE USE OF OTHER LIFTING APPLIANCES AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.

+FACTORY INSPECTORS DURING THEIR INSPECTIONS OF CONSTRUCTION SITES, CHECK THE CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY COMPETENT EXAMINERS TO ENSURE THAT THE REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN PROPERLY OBSERVED,+ SAID MR HENDERSON.

GOVERNMENT STUDYING PROPOSALS TO REGULATE UNDESIRABLE PRACTICES IN GOLD TRANSACTIONS

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THE GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING AT PROPOSALS TO REGULATE UNDESIRABLE PRACTICES RELATED TO GOLD TRANSACTIONS OUTSIDE THE CHINESE GOLD AND SILVER EXCHANGE, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SIR PHILIP SAID HE WOULD BE CONSULTING THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHORTLY.

AS TO CONTROL OVER THE OPERATIONS OF THE EXCHANGE SOCIETY, SIR PHILIP SAID HE SAW NO REASON AT PRESENT TO ALTER THE VIEW HE EXPRESSED IN THE COUNCIL A YEAR AGO.

+AS I SAID THEN, THE EXCHANGE SOCIETY HAS A LONG HISTORY OF WELL CONDUCTED OPERATIONS AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT SO FAR CONSIDERED IT NECESSARY TO EXERCISE CONTROL OVER IT, HE SAID.

SIR PHILIP WAS REPLYING TO THE HON PETER C WONG WHO ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT NOW THOUGHT THE TIME HAD COME TO INTRODUCE SOME FORM OF CONTROL OVER THE HONG KONG GOLD AND SILVER MARKET IN THE LIGHT OF RECENT EVENTS.

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