XN000022-1983-04-13 — Page 8

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 1983

+COURTESY AND GOODWILL ON THE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE ONE HAND AND THE UNDERSTANDING AND CO-OPERATION OF THOSE AFFECTED ON THE OTHER, WILL CERTAINLY GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS PREVENTING ANY UNPLEASANT INCIDENT WHICH MAY OTHERWISE OCCUR.

+THESE ARE ALSO NECESSARY INGREDIENTS ON WHICH THE SUCCESS OF THIS WORTHY OPERATION WILL DEPEND, HE SAID.

MR WONG SAID THAT THE AD HOC GROUP OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD CONSIDERED THE DRAFT BILL AND THE DRAFT REGULATIONS AND HAD ALSO MET THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE AND OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

+A NUMBER OF AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED BY UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE BILL GAZETTED YESTERDAY AND WILL ALSO BE REFLECTED IN THE NEW REGULATIONS WHICH WILL COME INTO EFFECT IMMEDIATELY UPON THE ENACTMENT OF THE BILL.

+WE ARE SATISFIED THAT THE BILL AND THE NEW REGULATIONS WILL PROVIDE THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE WITH THE NECESSARY STATUTORY AUTHORITY TO REGULATE THE GROWING NUMBER OF DWELLING VESSELS IN THE TYPHOON SHELTERS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF MUCH CONCERN, HE SAID,

AS A START, THE NEW REGULATIONS WOULD ONLY APPLY TO THE TYPHOON SHELTERS AT YAU MA TEI, TSING YI, TUEN MUN AND CHEUNG CHAU.

MR WONG SAID DESIGNATING THE FOUR MOST DENSELY POPULATED TYPHOON SHELTERS AS PRESCRIBED AREAS WAS A GOOD START AND HE HOPED THAT CONTROL WOULD BE EXTENDED TO OTHER AREAS AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE.

+ IN THE MEANTIME, IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A CLOSE WATCH BE KEPT ON AREAS NOT BROUGHT WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE NEW REGULATIONS, + HE SAID.

MR WONG SAID THE NEED TO TAKE ALL THREE READINGS OF THE BILL AT ONE SITTING IN ORDER TO PREVENT A SUDDEN RUSH OF DWELLING BOATS INTO THE SHELTERS WAS FULLY APPRECIATED BY THE UNOFFICIALS. +HOWEVER, WE WOULD STRESS THAT ONLY IN EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD SUCH PROCEDURE BE ADOPTED, HE SAID.

THE HON P. JACOBS, SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, IN MOVING THE SHIPPING AND PORT CONTROL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1983, SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE BILL WAS TO PROVIDE BETTER CONTROL OVER DWELLING VESSELS, AND THUS TO CONTAIN THE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF SUCH VESSELS IN TYPHOON SHELTERS.

THIS WOULD BE ACHIEVED BY MEANS OF A LICENSING SYSTEM.

HE THANKED MR PETER C. WONG AND MEMBERS OF THE AD HOC GROUP OF UNOFFICIALS FOR THEIR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL AND THE REGULATIONS.

+A NUMBER OF VERY USEFUL AND PROPER AMENDMENTS WERE INCLUDED AS A RESULT,+ HE SAID.

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