XN000022-1985-02-10 — Page 3

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1985

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BUSY YEAR FOR ENQUIRY CENTRE

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THE 64 PUBLIC ENQUIRY SERVICE CENTRES (PESC'S) OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION HAD A BUSY TIME LAST YEAR INCREASING ITS SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC BY 32.2 PER CENT OVER 1983.

THE PESC'S PROVIDE A WIDE VARIETY OF SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC SUCH AS ANSWERING GENERAL ENQUIRIES, DISTRIBUTING GOVERNMENT PAMPHLETS AND PUBLICITY MATERIALS, ADMINISTRATING STATUTORY DECLARATIONS, ADVISING AND OFFERING INFORMATION ON SERVICES PROVIDED BY ALL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND DEALING WITH COMPLAINTS.

+THE CENTRES ALSO RENDER ASSISTANCE IN SOLVING PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND ARRANGING REFERRALS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS COMPLEX AND REQUIRES EXPERT ADVICE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION SAID.

+FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1984, MORE THAN FIVE-MILLION CASES AND ENQUIRIES WERE RECEIVED, WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 20.3 PER CENT OVER FIGURES FOR 1983, + HE ADDED.

+DURING THE YEAR, SOME 8.7 MILLION FORMS AND INFORMATION BOOKLETS WERE DISTRIBUTED, WITH THE MOST POPULAR BEING APPLICATION FORMS FOR GOVERNMENT JOBS, HE SAID.

UNDER THE FREE LEGAL ADVICE SCHEME+, A TOTAL OF 3 293 CASES WERE REFERRED TO THE HONG KONG LAW SOCIETY, OF WHICH, 3 071 CASES WERE HANDLED BY THE LAW SOCIETY'S SOLICITORS AND 468 CASES WERE REFERRED TO THE LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT FOR ASSISTANCE.

IN 1984, TWO ADDITIONAL CENTRES, IN YAU MA TEI AND KWUN TONG, WERE OPENED BRINGING TO EIGHT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ADVICE CENTRES TO PROVIDE MORE EXTENSIVE SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

TSUEN WAN ARTS FESTIVAL OPENED

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THE SEVENTH TSUEN WAN ARTS FESTIVAL WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED TODAY (SUNDAY) BY THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, AND THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR GRAHAM BARNES.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING IN THE TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL, MR BARNES SAID THAT THE FESTIVAL HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL EVENT AS A RESULT OF THE EFFORTS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

HE ALSO