XN000022-1981-07-22 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1961

GAMBLING BILL PASSED

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THE GAMBLING (AMENDMENT) BILL 1981 WAS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WITH A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE HON PETER C. WONG SAID THE AIM OF THE NEW MEASURES WAS TO STRENGTHEN THE LAW AGAINST ILLEGAL GAMBLING.

WHILE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO QUANTIFY THE PRESENT EXTENT OF ILLEGAL GAMBLING, HE SAID THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE POLICE HAD HAD CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS IN CLAMPING DOWN ON

ILLEGAL GAMBLING SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE EXISTING ORDINANCE IN 1977.

FROM OCTOBER 1979 TO SEPTEMBER 1980, HE NOTED, NO LESS THAN 3 688 RAIDS HAD BEEN CONDUCTED ON CASINOS, BOOKMAKERS AND STREET GAMBLERS, RESULTING IN 12 345 ARRESTS AND THE SEIZURE OF OVER $2 MILLION.

THE POLICE HAD, HOWEVER, ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTIES IN THE EXECUTION OF THEIR STATUTORY FUNCTION UNDER THE EXISTING LEGISLATION, SAID MR WONG, AND IT WAS HOPED THAT SOME OF THESE WOULD BE OVERCOME BY THE NEW PROVISIONS.

UNDER THE BILL, A PERSON IN POSSESSION OF A BETTING SLIP IS PRESUMED TO BE IN SUCH POSSESSION TO ASSIST ANOTHER PERSON IN BOOKMAK ING.

IT ALSO PROVIDES THAT MONEY OR PROPERTY FOUND IN PREMISES IN WHICH ILLEGAL CASINO-TYPE GAMBLING TOOK PLACE IS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN USED FOR OR IN CONNECTION WITH GAMBLING.

INFORMATION ON LANGUAGE SENT TO PANEL

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FACTUAL INFORMATION REGARDING LANGUAGE IN EDUCATION IN HONG KONG HAD ALREADY BEEN SENT TO THE INTERNATIONAL PANEL WHO WILL BE REVIEWING THE HONG KONG EDUCATION SYSTEM, THE SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON E.P. HO, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON CHAN KAM-CHUEN, MR HC SAID EDUCATORS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISHED TO EXPRESS OPINIONS ON THIS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT MATTERS WERE INVITED TO WRITE TO THE PANEL.

+1 WOULD CERTAINLY EXPECT THE VISITOR'S REPORT TO BE PUBLISHED, AND WOULD BE SURPRISED IF THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT OR DEBATE ON IT, WHETHER IT WAS SPECIFICALLY INVITED OR NOT,+ MR HO SAID.

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