XN000022-1980-06-11 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1980

LAST YEAR HONG KONG ISSUED OVER 800 000 CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN, AND LESS THAN 150 OFFENCES WERE DETECTED AND SUCCESSFULLY PROSECUTED.

+NO MATTER HOW RELATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT THESE MALPRACTICES, THEY COULD BE USED TO DISTORT AND DAMAGE OUR TRADING RELATIONS. IT IS FOR THIS REASON HONG KONG HAS ALWAYS PLACED GREAT EMPHASIS ON POLICING ITS CERTIFICATION AND QUOTA SYSTEMS, AND WE INTEND TO CONTINUE TO DO SO, HE SAID.

MR DORWARD ADDED THAT FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS HONG KONG HAD BEEN BUILDING UP AND OPERATING WHAT IS, HE BELIEVED, OBJECTIVELY! RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT ORIGIN AND QUOTA CONTROL SYSTEMS IN THE WORLD.

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NEW TERRITORIES COVERED BY RENT LAWS

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A BILL CLARIFYING THAT ALL POSTWAR PREMISES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES ARE UNDER RENT CONTROLS AS PROVIDED IN THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) ORDINANCE WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND PASSED INTO LAW TODAY.

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) (AMENDMENT)(NO. 2) BILL 1980, THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, THE HON DONALD LIÃO SAID THERE WERE DOUBTS RECENTLY_ABOUT THE APPLICATION TO THE NEW TERRITORIES OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE ORDINANCE RELATING TO POSTWAR PREMISES.

IT HAS BEEN SUGGESTED THAT, BY VIRTUE OF THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) ORDINANCE (APPLICATION TO NEW TERRITORIES) ORDER MADE IN 1954, PARTS II, IV AND V OF THAT ORDINANCE HAVE NEVER, SINCE THAT TIME, APPLIED TO THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR LIAO SAID.

HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD APPROVED, AFTER AN INTENSIVE DEBATE, THE EXTENSION OF THE PART II RENT CONTROLS TO ALL POSTWAR DOMESTIC PREMISES IN HONG KONG OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFICALLY EXEMPTED.

*ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT THE PUBLIC, THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND THE COURTS HAVE, OVER THE YEARS, ACCEPTED THE APPLICATION OF PART 1 TO THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE OBJECT OF THIS BILL IS TO REMOVE ANY DOUBTS AS TO THE APPLICATION OF PARTS II, IV AND V TO THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR LIAO SAID.

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