XN000022-1980-07-09 — Page 21

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 9. 1980

9,

ON THE SECOND POINT, THE SECRETARY HAS ALSO AGREED NOT TO BRING THE REGULATIONS INTO EFFECT FOR AT LEAST THREE MONTHS AFTER THE IR PUBLICATION.

IN THIS REGARD MISS DUNN URGED THAT AMPLE PUBLICITY MUST BE GIVEN BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND APPOINTED DAYS TO PREVENT ANY FACTORY, ESPECIALLY SMALL FACTORIES, FROM BEING PENALISED BY DEFAULT.

ON THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE TWO-WEEK PERIOD ALLOWED FOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO CONSIDER THE REGULATIONS, THE SECRETARY REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT FEEL ABLE TO DO SO.

ALTHOUGH SHE UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WOULD INVOLVE AN AMENDMENT TO STANDING ORDERS TO EXTEND THE PERIOD. MISS DUNN FELT THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE PREPARED TO MOVE THE IR SUSPENSION IN THIS INSTANCE,

+IT IS DANGEROUS TO MAKE DECISIONS ON DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX ISSUES IN HASTE- AND, IN THIS CASE, UNNECESSARY TOO FOR POLLUTION OF OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS AND OF THE WATERS IN OUR HARBOURS IS A PROBLEM OF LONG STANDING, SHE SAID.

+TO LIMIT THE TIME AVAILABLE FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE REGULATIONS TO TWO WEEKS, RATHER THAN ALLOW, SAY, FOUR TO SIX WEEKS WILL NOT HAVE ANY PRACTICAL EFFECT EVEN IN RESPECT OF THE SHORT TERM OBJECT OF CONTAINING POLLUTION.

+YET IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF HASTE, WE RUN THE DANGER OF MAKING MISTAKES WHICH COULD DAMAGE THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS IN THE MEDIUM AND LONGER TERM= AND THE VIABILITY OF SOME INDUSTRIES COULD BE PREJUDICED, SUCH AS THE DYEING AND FINISHING INDUSTRY.+

MISS DUNN ADDED THAT HER PLEA FOR LESS HASTE AND MORE CARE WAS MADE + IN THE INTERESTS OF BETTER, SOUNDER GOVERNMENT AND AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE NUMBER OF BILLS WHICH COME BEFORE THIS COUNCIL THESE DAYS.+

WHILE ACCEPTING THAT INCREASING CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT, MISS DUNN STRESSED THAT THE ECONOMY MUST ALWAYS COME FIRST.

+FURTHERMORE, WE MUST AVOID DRIFTING INTO A SITUATION WHEREBY NEW COMMITMENTS STRAIN OUR RESOURCES AT THE EXPENSE OF EXISTING COMMITMENTS AND INTO A SITUATION IN WHICH THE ENACTMENT OF ONE PIECE OF LEGISLATION AFTER ANOTHER EACH PERHAPS JUSTIFIED IN ITS OWN RIGHT LEADS TO AN EVER LARGER AND MORE COSTLY BUREAUCRACY WHOSE EXISTENCE DEPENDS ON MORE AND MORE RESTRICTIVE CONTROLS BEING

IMPOSED, SHE ADDED.

MISS DUNN ALSO URGED THE ENVIRONMENT BRANCH TO LIAISE CLOSELY WITH THE ICAC IN DRAWING UP IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES SINCE THE SORT OF CONTROL MEASURES ENVISAGED IN THIS BILL ARE BOUND TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CORRUPTION.+

THE HON WONG PO-YAN WELCOMED THE BILL BUT URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO EXERCISE THE POWERS WITH CARE AND FLEXIBILITY, ADOPT A REALISTIC APPROACH AND TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS OF PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES. +

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