XN000022-1981-11-17 — Page 4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1981

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THE GOVERNMENT IS ACUTELY CONSCIOUS OF ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE GOOD THE SHORTAGES OF LOCAL PROFESSIONALS GENERALLY, WHETHER THEY BE LAWTERS, ENGINEERS, DOCTORS, ARCHITECTS OR ACCOUNTANTS.

IT IS ACCEPTED THAT THE EXPANSION OF THE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS MUST BE DIRECTED TO MEETING THE SHORTAGES IN THE KEY PROFESSIONS, INCLUDING ACCOUNTANCY, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

NOTE TO EDITORS I

THE TEXT OF THE GOVERNOR'S SPEECH HAS BEEN BOXED AND IS SIMILARLY EMBARGOED FOR USE AFTER 10 PM.

CLAR IF ICATION OF ID CARD LAW

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IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION OF THE SO-CALLED +100 YARDS RULE+ FOR ID CARDS AS REPORTED IN THE PRESS, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTI

+THE RELEVANT LEGISLATION REQUIRES EVERY PERSON WHO IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE REGISTERED UNDER THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS ORDINANCE TO HAVE WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES PROOF OF HIS IDENTITY. A PERSON TO WHOM AN ID CARD HAS BEEN ISSUED CAN HAVE SUCH CARD WITH HIM WITHOUT THE CARD NECESSARILY BEING CARRIED ON HIS BODY. PERSONS SWIMMING IN A SWIMMING POOL OR IN THE SEA MAY, THEREFORE, BE REGARDED AS HAVING HIS ID CARD WITH HIM IF IT IS WITH HIS TOWEL OR OTHER EQUIPMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE POOL OR ON THE BEACH, AS THE CASE MAY BE. THIS IS SIMPLY AN EXAMPLE INTENDED TO ILLUSTRATE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAVING ONE'S ID CARD WITH ONE AS DISTINCT FROM BEING REQUIRED TO CARRY IT ON ONE'S PERSON. THE RECENT CASE OF TWO YOUTHS ROLLER SKATING IN VICTORIA PARK IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE. IT SO HAPPENED THAT IN THAT CASE IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THE TWO YOUTHS WERE WITHIN 100 YARDS FROM THE IR OUTER GARMENTS IN WHICH THEY HAD LEFT THEIR ID CARDS, BUT ON THE FACTS OF THAT CASE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN REGARDED AS HAVING THEIR CARDS WITH THEM EVEN IF THEY HAD BEEN 50 OR 120 YARDS AWAY FROM THEIR OUTER GARMENTS. THERE IS, THEREFORE, NO 100 YARDS RULE'. WHETHER A PERSON CAN BE SAID TO HAVE HIS ID CARD WITH HIM', AS REQUIRED BY LAW, DEPENDS ON THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH CASE. THE DISTANCE, WHATEVER IT MAY HAPPEN TO BE IN ANY PARTICULAR CASE, BETWEEN HIM AND HIS ID CARD MAY, BUT WILL NOT NECESSARILY IN EVERY CASE, BE A FACTOR IN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT HE IS COMPLYING WITH THE LAW.+

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