XN000022-1983-04-27 — Page 30

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983

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CALL FOR IMPROVED AND SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURES

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THE HON SELINA CHOW, SPEAKING IN THE DEBATE ON THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL BILL 1982, TODAY CALLED FOR + IMPROVED AND SIMPLIFIED+ PROCEDURES FOR LICENSING SPECIFIED PROCESSES.

SHE SAID, PART IV OF THE BILL DEALT WITH SPECIFIED PROCESSES AND, AS PUBLISHED, CLAUSE 16 REQUIRED THE OPERATOR OF A SPECIFIED PROCESS TO REPEAT THE ENTIRE APPLICATION PROCEDURES WHEN HIS LICENCE WAS DUE FOR RENEWAL.

+MY UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES HAD EXPRESSED STRONG FEELING THAT THESE LICENCE HOLDERS SHOULD NOT UPON RENEWAL BE REQUIRED TO REPEAT THE SAME LENGTHY PROCEDURES REQUIRED BY FRESH APPLICATION.

+TO SIMPLIFY MATTERS, I SHALL MOVE AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE AN AMENDMENT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PROCEDURES FOR APPLICATION FOR NEW LICENCES WOULD NOT APPLY TO APPLICATIONS FOR RENEWALS UNLESS THE AUTHORITY DIRECTS OTHERWISE, SHE SAID.

MRS CHOW DISCUSSED CLAUSE 19 WHICH DEALT WITH NOTICES OF EXISTING PREMISES USED FOR SPECIFIED PROCESS.

IN ITS PRESENT FORM, SHE SAID, CLAUSE 19 DID NOT PROVIDE FOR THE AUTHORITY TO STATE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATIONS, AND IT WAS NOT CLEAR THAT THE AUTHORITY WOULD SO SPECIFY.

FURTHER, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHEN THE NOTICE PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS WOULD COMMENCE,

+TO REMOVE ANY TRACE OF DOUBT, I SHALL MOVE AMENDMENTS TO CLAUSE 19 AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE SEEKING TO REQUIRE THE AUTHORITY TO STATE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS REGARDING PARTICULARS AND INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED BY THE OWNER OF ANY PREMISES USED FOR THE CONDUCT OF A SPECIFIED PROCESS, AND TO CLARIFY THAT THE PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS' NOTICE WOULD START FROM THE TIME WHEN THE ORDER FOR SUCH

INFORMATION IS PUBLISHED.

+CONSEQUENTIAL TO THIS AMENDMENT, CLAUSES 20 AND 21 WOULD NEED TO BE SUITABLY AMENDED, SHE SAID, ADDING THAT SHE WOULD

ALSO MOVE AMENDMENTS TO THESE TWO CLAUSES.

MRS CHOW SAID SHE WAS GLAD THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAD AGREED TO ALL THESE AMENDMENTS, WHICH IF ADOPTED WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO SIMPLIFYING AND IMPROVING THE BILL.

TURNING TO CLAUSE 28 SUBSECTION 2, SHE SAID THE AUTHOR ITY WAS GRANTED THE RIGHT OF ENTRY TO SEARCH ANY PREMISES WITHOUT WARRANT.

MRS CHOW SHARED SOME OF THE UNOFFICIALS' CONCERN THAT SUCH WIDE POWERS MIGHT BE OPEN TO ABUSE AND STRESSED THE NEED FOR +EXTREME CAUTION AND DISCRETION+ AND +CLOSE MONITORING+ TO ENSURE THAT EXECUTION WAS IN LINE WITH THE ORIGINAL SPIRIT AND INTENTION OF THE BILL.

/29.

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