XN000022-1984-06-27 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 1984

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NEW ID CARDS SCHEME AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

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THE SCHEME TO ISSUE NEW IDENTITY CARDS IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HEARD TODAY.

THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON DAVID JEAFFRESON, SAID THAT THE SCHEME WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED ÎN FOUR AND A HALF YEARS - BY THE END OF 1987.

IN FACT, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT IS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND IS PLANNING TO COMPLETE IT BY APRIL 1987, AT LEAST SIX MONTHS EARLIER THAN EXPECTED, HE SAID.

MR JEAFFRESON WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON RITA FAN WHO WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE SCHEME WAS PROGRESSING.

HE SAID THAT THERE WERE 4.5 MILLION OLD CARDS TO BE REPLACED AND BY JUNE 20 THIS YEAR 1 260 000 PEOPLE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED NEW CARDS.

+TWENTY-EIGHT PER CENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO NEED NEW IDENTITY CARDS HAVE NOW BEEN ISSUED WITH THEM, HE SAID.

+ IT IS A DANGEROUS COMMENT TO MAKE BEFORE A SCHEME IS COMPLETED, BUT I THINK THIS STORY IS ONE OF REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES.

•THE CREDIT MUST GO TO THE STAFF OF THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AND OF ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED IN SETTING UP THE RE-ISSUE SCHEME.+

HE ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE PUBLIC.

STEPS TAKEN AGAINST ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS

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OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS 6 041 INSPECTIONS OF BUILDINGS WERE CARRIED OUT AND 1 763 ORDERS WERE MADE FOR THE REMOVAL OF ILLEGAL WORKS AND REINSTATEMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON CHAN NAI-KEONG, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON PAULINE NG, MR CHAN SAID MOST OF THE ORDERS RELATED TO SERIOUS BREACHES GIVING RISE TO HAZARDS TO LIFE AND LIMB, AND WERE GIVEN THE GREATEST PRIORITY.

HE SAID THE LANDS DEPARTMENT HAD ALSO BEEN ASSISTING IN THE CONTROL OF ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS IN CASES WHERE LEASE CONDITIONS ALLOWED RE-ENTRY AS A SANCTION IN RESPECT OF BREACHES OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE AND THIS HAD LED TO 45 CASES OF ILLEGALITIES BEING REMEDIED.

IN RESPONSE