XN000022-1980-03-10 — Page 3

MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1980

2

WINDS INCREASED VERY ABRUPTLY AND GUSTS OF 77 KNOTS AND 55 KNOTS WERE RECORDED AT CHEUNG CHAU AND THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY RESPECTIVELY. THE GUST SPEED AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY ALSO EQUALLED THE RECORD FOR FEBRUARY WHICH OCCURRED ON FEBRUARY 11, 1960.

HAIL, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN RECORDED IN FEBRUARY IN HONG KONG BEFOŘE, WAS REPORTED IN KWAI CHUNG AND REPULSE BAY.

AS THE COLD FRONT QUICKLY MOVED SOUTHWARDS AWAY FROM HONG KONG, THE WEATHER IMPROVED SLOWLY DURING THE AFTERNOON OF FEBRUARY 27 AND THE REST OF THE MONTH WAS MAINLY FINE.

DURING THE MONTH NO AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 23 AND 25 TO 27. THE YELLOW FIRE DANGER WARNING WAS IN EFFECT IN 10 DAYS AND THE RED WARNING IN THREE DAYS DURING THE MONTH. LOW TEMPERATURE AND FROST WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON FEBRUARY 4 AND 5.

MORE PEOPLE USE PUBLIC ENQUIRY SERVICE

****

THE 27 PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR HANDLED OVER 3.87 MILLION REQUESTS FOR HELP BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

THIS WAS AN INCREASE OF 12.6 PER CENT OVER THE 1978 FIGURE OF ABOUT 3 437 000.

THE COUNTER SERVICE ANSWERED 1 287 133 ENQUIRIES, HANDLED 188 254 CASES AND DISTRIBUTED 2 394 818 FORMS AND PAMPHLETS.

IN VIEW OF THE GROWING DEMAND FOR THE VARIOUS TYPES OF SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO ESTABLISH EVEN MORE CDO SUB-OFFICES IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

OF THE ENQUIRIES HANDLED LAST YEAR, 83 024 (6.45 PER CENT) WERE ON THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME, 54 922 (4.27 PER CENT) ON THE LOCATION AND TELEPHONE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES, 50 077 (3.89 PER CENT) ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION, 42 921 (3.34 PER CENT) ON GOVERNMENT JOBS AND VACANCIES AND 41 104 (3.19 PER CENT) ON PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS.

FORMS IN GREATEST DEMAND INCLUDED THOSE FOR APPLICATION FOR GOVERNMENT POSTS (317 851), ENROLMENT FOR THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES (205 750), WALKS FOR A MILLION SPONSORHIP (193 500), APPLICATION FOR HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME FLATS (123 485), APPLICATION FOR SITTING THE GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION (111 567) AND APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC HOUSING (69 724).

/STATUTORY DECLARATIONS