XN000022-1983-07-27 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1983

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+THE REASON FOR THIS RULE IS THAT, BECAUSE A PERSON CANNOT CONSPIRE WITH HIMSELF, HIS CONVICTION WOULD BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE ACQUITTALS OF THE CO-CONSPIRATORS THESE ACQUITTALS DECREEING THEIR INNOCENCE.

+THAT IS WHAT THE LAW SAYS. IN REAL LIFE, WE KNOW THAT ACCUSED ARE SOMETIMES ACQUITTED, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE INNOCENT, BUT BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THEM IS INSUFFICIENT,

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED TILL AUGUST 10.

HE SAID.

MOSQUITO BREEDING FINES INCREASED

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THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR MOSQUITO BREEDING WAS DOUBLED TO $10 000, AND THE MAXIMUM DAILY FINE INCREASED FROM $100 TO $250 BY A RESOLUTION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

MOVING THE MOTION TO INCREASE FINES IN THE NINTH SCHEDULE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND URBAN SERVICES ORDINANCE, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON HENRY CHING, SAID THAT MALARIA CASES HAD GRADUALLY" INCREASED FROM 47 IN 1978 TO E LAST YEAR.

ALTHOUGH THIS INCREASE IS DUE TO A HIGHER NUMBER OF IMPORTED CASES, THE EXISTENCE OF VECTOR MOSQUITOES MAKES EVERY MALARIA CASE, IMPORTED OR LOCALLY CONTRACTED, A POTENTIAL RESERVOIR FOR A MAJOR OUTBREAK, MR CHING SAID.

+THE INCREASING NUMBER OF MALARIA CASES THEREFORE MAKES THE ELIMINATION OF VECTOR MOSQUITOES MORE IMPORTANT, AND THERE IS THUS A NEED TO STRENGTHEN MEASURES TAKEN AGAINST THE BREEDING OF MOSQUITOES,+ HE SAID,

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION, THE HON ANDREW SO, UNOFFICIAL MEMBER, SAID THE BEST METHOD OF PREVENTING MALARIA WAS TO STOP THE BREEDING OF MOSQUITOES BY KEEPING THE LIVING ENVIRONMENT CLEAN AND BY DISPOSING OF ALL STAGNANT WATER.

•THE URBAN COUNCIL, THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND ALL UNITS CONCERNED HAVE SPARED NÓ EFFORT IN CLEANING HONG KONG AND HOLDING ANTI-MOSQUITO CAMPAIGNS AND THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN QU I TE SATISFACTORY, HE SAID.

MR SO SAID THE HIGHER FINES WERE NECESSARY BECAUSE THEY COULD HAVE A DETERRENT EFFECT+.

HE SAID STATISTICS, FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR SHOWED THERE WERE 254 PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING CONSTRUCTION SITES AND DOMESTIC PREMISES WHERE WATER HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO GO STALE, RESULTING IN THE BREEDING OF MOSQUITOES — AND 90 PER CENT OF THESE INVOLVED CONSTRUCTION SITES.

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WE HAVE TO MAKE A STILL GREATER EFFORT, THEREFORE TO FIGHT THE BREEDING OF MOSQUITOES, EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND PROSECUTE OFFENDERS, MR SO SAID.

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