XN000022-1984-07-04 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1984

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THE EXPANSION OF THE PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREAS AT CONNAUGHT ROAD WEST, APLICHAU, KOWLOON BAY, CHAI WAN AND TUEN MUN.

CONSIDERATION HAD ALSO BEEN GIVEN TO REDEVELOPING THE YAU MA TE I TYPHOON SHELTER AND EXPANDING THE QUARRY BAY PUBLIC CARGO WORKING AREA.

MR DAVY SAID THE UNITED KINGDOM WAS EXPECTED WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS TO EXTEND THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON THE STANDARDS OF TRAINING, CERTIFICATION AND WATCHKEEPING OF SEAFARERS TO HONG KONG.

+THE EXTENSION OF THE STCW CONVENTION IS ESSENTIAL TO RETAINING HONG KONG'S STATUS AS A BRITISH PORT OF REGISTRY. HONG KONG HAS CONFIRMED TO THE UK THAT IT INTENDS TO RETAIN ITS EQUIVALENT STATUS WITH THE UK AND THUS UNDERTAKES TO APPLY ALL THE RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS IN RESPECT OF HK REGISTERED SKIPS THAT THE UK DOES FOR UK REGISTERED SHIPS.

+HONG KONG WILL THEREFORE BE PLACED IN CATEGORY +A+ WHEN THE UNITED KINGDOM'S PROPOSED NEW SHIPPING ACT IS ENACTED WHICH CLASSIFIES HONG KONG AS A PORT OF REGISTRY IN WHICH VESSELS OF ALL TONNAGES MAY BE REGISTERED, HE SAID.

MR DAVY ALSO SAID THAT HONG KONG'S GROWTH AS A PORT OF REGISTRY HAD SHOWN A MARKED INCREASE OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. AT THE BEGINNING OF 1978, THE HONG KONG REGISTERED FLEET OF 500 GROSS REGISTERED TONS WAS 81, AND IN 1984 THE NUMBER WAS 250.

THE CURRENT INDICATIONS SUGGEST THAT THESE TRENDS WILL CONTINUE THUS PRESERVING THE DEMAND FOR QUALIFIED HONG KONG OFFICERS AND SEAMEN, HE SAID.

PUBLIC, MEDIA SUPPORT FOR DISABLED URGED

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR REHABILITATION TODAY (WEDNESDAY) CALLED UPON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY THE MEDIA, TO HELP CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE WHERE DISABLED PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY ACCEPTED INTO THE COMMUNITY.

MR MARTIN LEWIS, CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC EDUCATION IN REHABILITATION (COMPERE), WAS SPEAKING AT A TV AP! (ANNOUNCEMENT OF PUBLIC INTEREST) AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY HELD AT THE GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES THEATRE THIS AFTERNOON.

THE 30-SECOND FILM, WHICH WON THE FIRST PRIZE IN THE RECENT WORLD CONGRESS OF REHABILITATION INTERNATIONAL IN LISBON, WAS PRODUCED BY GIS FOR COMPERE AS PART OF ITS PUBLICITY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMME LAST YEAR.

THE API