XN000022-1980-07-23 — Page 14

12

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1980

HE SAID THE NEW SCALE PRESCRIBED THAT THE FIXED RATE WOULD APPLY TO BEER UP TO AN ORIGINAL GRAVITY OF 1 030 DEGREES RATHER THAN THE PRESENT 1 055 DEGREES AND ABOVE THIS REDUCED LEVEL, A VARIABLE SCALE WOULD APPLY.

+ THE DILUTION PROCESS NORMALLY BEGINS WITH AN ORIGINAL GRAVITY OF ABOVE 1 030 DEGREES, AND THE VARIABLE SCALE HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT LOSE ABOUT $3 MILLION IN REVENUE, + HE POINTED OUT.

MR JEAFFRESON STRESSED THAT THE NEW SCALE HAS ALSO BEEN DESIGNED TO BE AS NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE AS FAR AS THOSE NOT USING THE DILUTION PROCESS WERE CONCERNED. BUT BEER WITH AN ORIGINAL GRAVITY ABOVE 1 048 DEGREES WHICH IS THE NORM FOR HONG KONG, WILL PAY VERY SLIGHTLY MORE THAN AT PRESENT AND BEER WITH A LOWER ORIGINAL GRAVITY THAN THIS WILL PAY SLIGHTLY LESS.

TO AVOID CHARGING IN FRACTIONS OF A CENT IN THE PURSUIT OF NEUTRALITY, HE SAID THE NEW DUTY WAS FOR QUANTITIES OF 24 GALLONS RATHER THAN ONE GALLON AS UNDER THE PRESENT LEGISLATION.

+WHY 'GALLONS' AND '24' IN THIS AGE OF METRICATION? QUAINT, I AGREE BUT FOR METRICATION WE CAN ONLY TACKLE THE DUTIABLE COMMODITIES ORDINANCE AS A WHOLE AND THIS WE SHALL BE DOING SHORTLY, MR JEAFFRESON ADDED.

MODIFIED SCHEME FOR TSUEN WAN RECREATION PARK SUBMITTED TO GOVERNMENT ****

CONSULTANTS HAVE PUT FORWARD A MODIFIED SCHEME ON AN ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR THE PROPOSED OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTRE AT TSUEN WAN, SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON LEUNG TAT-SHING WHO ASKED ABOUT PROGRESS ON THE PROPOSED TSO KUNG TAM RECREATION PARK AT TSUEN WAN.

MR AKERS-JONES SAID THE PARK HAD TWO MAIN COMPONENTS- THE FIRST WAS AN OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTRE AND THE OTHER WAS THE PARK

ITSELF.

+ INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE OUTDOOR RECREATION CENTRE DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY AND THE ORIGINAL SITE HAS TO BE ABANDONED BECAUSE OF SERIOUS SITE STABILITY PROBLEMS,+ HE SAID.

THE ALTERNATIVE SCHEME SUBMITTED BY THE CONSULTANTS WOULD NOW BE EXAMINED AS TO ITS ACCEPTABILITY FROM ALL POINTS OF VIEW. IT WOULD COST AN ESTIMATED $40 MILLION.

WITH REGARD TO THE PARK MR AKERS-JONES SAID THE CONSULTANTS HAD JUST SUBMITTED AN INTERIM REPORT PROPOSING SUCH FACILITIES AS AN AMPHITHEATRE, A RIVERSIDE RESTAURANT, BOTANIC GARDENS, AN AVIARY, LAKES AND A MINIATURE RAILWAY.

/13