XN000022-1980-06-06 — Page 10

9

FRIDAY, JUNE 6, 1980

NEW TAC CHAIRMAN APPOINTED

***

MR T.S. LO, WHO WAS REAPPOINTED TO THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON APRIL 1 THIS YEAR, IS TO TAKE OVER THE CHAIRMANSHIP OF THIS COMMITTEE AS FROM JULY 1, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ANNOUNCED TODAY.

THE SPOKESMAN RECALLED THAT THIS IMPORTANT COMMITTEE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN CHAIRED BY AN UNOFFICIAL UP TO 1973. SUBSEQUENTLY FOLLOWING HIS APPOINTMENT TO THE NEWLY CREATED POST OF SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR J.J. ROBSON ASSUMED THE CHAIRMANSHIP WHICH HE HELD UNTIL HIS RETIREMENT IN APRIL 1976. HIS PLACE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE WAS THEN ASSUMED BY THE PRESENT SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR DEREK JONES.

+MR LO IS NO STRANGER TO THE TAC, HAVING PREVIOUSLY SERVED ON THE COMMITTEE FROM 1967 TO 1973, + THE SPOKESMAN ADDED, *AND HIS APPOINTMENT AS CHAIRMAN REFLECTS THE NEED FOR STRONG UNOFFICIAL INVOLVEMENT IN TRANSPORT MATTERS AT A TIME WHEN THE INCREASING BUILD-UP OF TRAFFIC ON THE ROADS AND THE RESULTANT CONGESTION WILL REQUIRE THE ADOPTION OF MEASURES WHICH MUST, OF NECESSITY, BE UNPALATABLE TO SOME ROAD USERS.+

+AS AN UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MR LO WILL ALSO BE IN A GOOD POSITION TO REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE TAC WHEN IMPORTANT ISSUES OF TRANSPORT POLICY COME BEFORE THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE RECALLED THAT THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP OF THE TAC HAD RECENTLY BEEN INCREASED FROM FIVE TO EIGHT AND POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER INDICATION OF THE IMPORTANCE THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHED TO STRONG UNOFFICIAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE DETERMINATION OF TRANSPORT POLICY.

APART FROM HIS MEMBERSHIP OF THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS, MR LO IS ALSO CHAIRMAN OF THE PROVISIONAL BOARD OF MANAGEMENT OF THE PRINCE PHILIP DENTAL TEACHING HOSPITAL AS WELL AS CHAIRMAN OF THE ESTABLISHMENT SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, OF THE LEGISLATION GROUP OF UMELCO AND OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON TELEPHONE SERVICES.

AS SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR JONES WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE POLICY SECRETARY CO-ORDINATING THE WORK OF ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORT AND THE SENIOR OFFICIAL IN THIS FIELD.

HE HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE TAC CONTINUOUSLY SINCE JUNE 1971 AS, SUCCESSIVELY, DEPUTY ECONOMIC SECRETARY, SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES AND SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND HAS SERVED AS CHAIRMAN SINCE MAY 1976. HE WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE MASS TRANSIT WORKING GROUP IN 1971-72, WHICH RECOMMENDED THE BUILDING OF THE MTR AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE MASS TRANSIT STEERING GROUP AND PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY IN 1972-1975. DURING THAT PERIOD, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HE PRESIDED OVER THE KEY STAFF AND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE OF THE PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY WHICH ESTABLISHED THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND RECRUITED THE SENIOR STAFF FOR THE FUTURE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION,

MR JONES

·

Page 10Page 11