XN000022-1982-02-21 — Page 4

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1982

3.

MORE EQUIPMENT FOR FIRE FIGHTING

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THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL SOON HAVE ADDITIONAL FIRE FIGHTING APPLIANCES ADDED TO ITS MODERN FLEET.

THE APPLIANCES, CONSISTING OF FOUR PUMP SNORKELS AND FOUR MAJOR PUMPING APPLIANCES, ARE VALUED AT ABOUT $7 MILLION. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM AND BECOME OPERATIONAL IN APRIL THIS YEAR.

THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO PLACED AN ORDER FOR THREE ADDITIONAL PUMP SNORKELS VALUED AT $3 MILLION AND THEY ARE DUE TO ARRIVE LATER THIS YEAR.

MEANWHILE, THE DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY TAKEN DELIVERY OF TWO PUMP SNORKELS THIS YEAR AND THEY ARE AT PRESENT BEING FITTED OUT WITH EQUIPMENT AT THE FIRE SERVICES' WORKSHOPS IN TSIM SHA TSU AND KWAI CHUNG.

A FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE NEW APPLIANCES ARE PARTLY FOR REPLACEMENTS, BUT ALSO TO MEET WITH THE DEPARTMENT'S EXPANSION PROGRAMME.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT A MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEER FROM THE DEPARTMENT, MR PATRICK LAT HAS LEFT FOR BRITAIN TO INSPECT AND COMMISSION THE NEW APPLIANCES BEFORE THEY ARE DELIVERED TO HONG KONG.

MR LAI IS EXPECTED TO BE IN BRITAIN FOR TWO WEEKS.

HONG KONG/CANADA TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS

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NEGOTIATIONS WILL BEGIN IN HONG KONG TOMORROW (MONDAY) ON A NEW TEXTILE AGREEMENT BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CANADA.

THE DISCUSSIONS WILL EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONCLUDING A LONG TERM AGREEMENT TO SUCCEED THE EXISTING ONE-YEAR INTERIM ARRANGEMENT WHICH CAME INTO FORCE ON JANUARY 1, 1982.

THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WILL BE LED BY THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF TRADE, MR JUSTIN YUE, AND THE CANADIAN DELEGATION BY THE CANADIAN CHIEF TEXTILES NEGOTIATOR, MR DOUG ARTHUR.

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