XN000022-1981-08-27 — Page 2

THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1981

HOUSE SPEAKER TO VISIT HONG KONG

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THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, THE RT HON GEORGE THOMAS, P.C., MP, WILL VISIT HONG KONG EARLY NEXT MONTH AT THE INVITATION OF THE GOVERNMENT.

MR THOMAS, WHO HAS REPRESENTED CARDIFF WEST SINCE 1950 HAS BEEN THE SPEAKER SINCE 1976. BEFORE BECOMING AN MP, HE WAS A SCHOOLMASTER, AND IN 1960-1 HE WAS VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE METHODIST CONFERENCE. HE REACHED MINISTERIAL RANK IN 1966 IN THE WELSH OFFICE, AND IN 1967 BECAME MINISTER OF STATE IN THE COMMONWEALTH OFFICE. FROM 1968-70 HE WAS SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WALES. HE WAS APPOINTED A PRIVY COUNCILLOR IN 1968. IN 1974 HE WAS ELECTED A DEPUTY SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND TWO YEARS LATEN HE WAS ELECTED AS SPEAKER.

THIS WILL BE HIS FIRST VISIT TO HONG KONG, AND HE WILL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FAMILIARISE HIMSELF WITH HONG KONG AND ITS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES.

THE SPEAKER IS THE SPOKESMAN AND PRESIDENT OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. HE IS ELECTED BY THE HOUSE AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH PARLIAMENT, OR WHEN THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER RETIRES OR DIES. HE PRESIDES OVER MEETINGS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, BUT HE NEITHER SPEAKS IN DEBATES NOR VOTES, EXCEPT WHEN THE RESULT OF A DIVISION IS EQUAL.

ON CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS THE SPEAKER RANKS DIRECTLY AFTER THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL BUT BEFORE AMBASSADORS, DUKES AND ALL CABINET MINISTERS EXCEPT THE LORD CHANCELLOR,

MR THOMAS IS DUE TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG ON SEPTEMBER 2 AND TO LEAVE FOR LONDON ON SEPTEMBER 7.

$105M WATER TUNNEL CONTRACT AWARDED

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A $105 MILLION CONTRACT HAS BEEN AWARDED BY THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WATER TUNNEL AND SITE FORMATION WORKS FOR THE YAU KOM TAU TREATMENT WORKS.

THE CHIEF ENGINEER (RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT) OF THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT, MR LEUNG KWOK-WAI, TODAY (THURSDAY) SAID, +THE TUNNEL, 5 200 METRES LONG, WILL BE CONSTRUCTED FROM TSING TAM TO YAU KOM TAU IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+WORK ON THE PROJECT WILL START EARLY NEXT MONTH AND WILL TAKE THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE.

THE PROJECT IS PART OF A $1 300 MILLION SCHEME FOR THE RECEPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES OF WATER FROM CHINA OVER THE NEXT 12 YEARS.

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