XN000022-1981-11-11 — Page 16

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1981

15

HE SAID HALF A MILLION PEOPLE HAD COME IN RECENT YEARS AND THE REMARKABLE FEATURE ABOUT THIS MIGRATION WAS THE SPEED OF THE IR ADAPTATION TO THE LOCAL WAY OF LIFE RATHER THAN THAT SOME HAD FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO SETTLE DOWN.

THERE WAS NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST A PERSON USING GOVERNMENT SERVICES SIMPLY BECAUSE HE IS A GREEN SEAL IDENTITY CARD HOLDER.

HE SAID ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA WHO ARRIVED AFTER OCTOBER 23 LAST YEAR WOULD CONTINUE TO BE REPATRIATED WHETHER THEY HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF SERIOUS OFFENCES OR NOT, HE SAID.

THOSE WHO REGISTERED IN THE GRACE PER JOD AND WHO WERE ALLOWED TO STAY CONDITIONALLY, WOULD NOT BE REMOVED, HE ADDED.

PROPERTY BILL BEING STUDIED ***

THE LAW OF PROPERTY BILL WAS DRAFTED EARLY THIS YEAR AND WAS BEING STUDIED BY THE LAW SOCIETY, THE LAW DRAFTSMAN, THE HON G.P. NAZARETH, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

HE WAS REPLYING TO COMMENTS MADE BY THE HON PETER WONG, WHO HAD ACKNOWLEDGED THE NECESSITY FOR CONSULTATION ON PROPOSED LEGISLATION, BUT HAD EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RESULT IN DELAY THAT WAS COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE AND WORKED AGAINST THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

HOW MUCH TIME IS APPROPRIATE FOR CONSULTATION MUST DEPEND ON PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND IN THIS CASE, NOTWITHSTAND ING ITS LONG HISTORY, THE BILL IS NOT REALLY A PARTICULARLY URGENT MEASURE, MR NAZARETH SAID.

DETAILED STUDY OF LEGISLATION BY PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS, CARRIED OUT ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS, USUALLY AFTER WORKING HOURS, COULD TAKE TIME, AND MUCH WAS OWED TO THOSE WHO MADE THESE VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO GETTING THE LEGISLATION RIGHT, HE SAID.

AM, IN ANY CASE, HAPPY TO SAY THAT THE LAW SOCIETY HAS ALMOST COMPLETED ITS DETAILED STUDY OF THE BILL.'

REFERRING TO THE SUGGESTION THAT WHEN THE SOCIETIES ORDINANCE IS AMENDED, THE OPPORTUNITY BE TAKEN TO CONFER CORPORATE STATUS ON SOCIETIES REGISTERED UNDER THE ORDINANCE, HE SAID THAT MOST OF THE 3 000 REGISTERED SOCIETIES MENTIONED WERE VERY SMALL ASSOCIATION FOR RECREATION AND SOCIAL PURPOSES, OFTEN WITHOUT PREMISES OR PROPERTY.

IT WAS QUESTIONABLE WHETHER THESE SMALL SOCIETIES WOULD BENEFIT FROM CORPORATE STATUS OR EVEN WHETHER THEY WISHED TO BE BOTHERED WITH THE FORMALITIES AND OBLIGATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH INCORPORATION.

THE LARGE AND PROSPEROUS SOCIETIES COULD AND DID INCORPORATE UNDER THE COMPANIES ORDINANCE, MR NAZARETH ADDED.