XN000022-1980-11-19 — Page 8

-EDNESDAY, NOVEMBER *, 1380

AS TO MR LO'S CALL FOR A STRONG TRANSPORT SECRETARIAT+, MR JONES SAID THERE WAS UNDER-ESTIMATION OF THE MEASURES THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO IMPROVE THE CO-ORDINATING MACHINERY AMONG THE DEPARTMENTS.

APART FROM THE TAC, THERE WAS A STRONG OVERALL CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE AT HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OR HEAD OF DIVISION LEVEL, UNDER WHICH WAS A NETWORK OF INTER-RELATED INTER-DEPARTMENTAL GROUPS DEALING WITH PARTICULAR SUBJECTS.

THE SYSTEM IS NOW WORK ING WELL AND IT IS PERIODICALLY EXAMINED TO SEE WHETHER FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE, HE SAID.

MR JONES ALSO WELCOMED THE SUPPORT GIVEN FOR THE NEW 'KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN' CAMPAIGN AND SAID WAYS AND MEANS FOR STRONGER ENFORCEMENT AND HEAVIER FINES WERE BEING EXPLORED.

THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO REQUIRE REFUSE STORAGE CHAMBERS IN ALL NEW BUILDINGS, AS SUGGESTED BY THE HON F.K. HU, WAS ALSO BEING GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION, HE SAID.

MEASURES TO DEAL WITH JUVENILE OFFENDERS

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THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME JUVENILE COURTS WILL BE INCREASED TO FOUR BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JOHN GRIFFITHS TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. MR GRIFFITHS SAID SINCE SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, A NEW JUVENILE COURT STARTED SITTING TWO DAYS A WEEK IN TSUEN WAN MAGISTRACY TO DEAL WITH ALL JUVENILE CASES ARISING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES EXCEPT FOR SAI KUNG.

THIS WAS IN ADDITION TO THE ONE IN THE SAN PO KONG MAGISTRACY, SITTING FULL-TIME AND DEALING WITH CASES ARISING IN KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, AND THE ONE IN CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY, SITTING THREE DAYS A WEEK AND DEALING WITH HONG KONG AND OUTLYING ISLANDS.

FURTHERMORE, MR GRIFFITHS SAID, A NEW COURT ROOM IS PRESENTLY BE ING CONSTRUCTED ON THE TOP FLOOR OF CAUSEWAY BAY MAGISTRACY AND IN DUE COURSE THIS WILL BECOME A FULL-TIME JUVENILE COURT,

HE ALSO HOPED THAT ANOTHER JUVENILE COURT IN NORTH KOWLOON MAGISTRACY WOULD BEGIN TO SIT BY THE END OF 1980, BRINGING TO FOUR, THE NUMBER OF FULL-TIME JUVENILE COURTS IN OPERATION,

THIS, MR GRIFFITHS SAID, WOULD HELP TO REDUCE THE WORKLOAD OF THE MAGISTRACIES DEALING WITH JUVENILE CASES TO MANAGEABLE PROPORTIONS AND AVOID THE PROBLEMS TO WHICH THE HON MISS JOYCE BENNETT HAD EARLIER IN THE DEBATE MADE REFERENCE.

+OF COURSE THE PRIME OBJECT OF THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE TO PREVENT JUVENILE CRIME OCCURRING AT ALL, FOR PREVENTION IS CETTER THAN CURE, BUT HOPE TO PREVENT IT ENTIRELY IS PERHAPS TO WISH FOR PARADISE.

/+SO THE