XN000022-1985-06-12 — Page 25

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 1985

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DR FANG WINDS UP DEBATE ON BILL

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WINDING UP THE DEBATE ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL 1985 IN THE COUNCIL TODAY, DR THE HON HARRY FANG SAID HE DID NOT THINK HE COULD USEFULLY ADD TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED SO ELOQUENTLY AND PERSUASIVELY BY HIS COLLEGAUES WHICH REFLECTED IN GENERAL THE MANY HOURS THEY HAD SPENT IN DISCUSSION IN THE UMELCO OFFICE ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.

+WE ARE SATISFIED THAT, SUBJECT TO THE EXTENSIVE AMENDMENTS AGREED, WHICH WILL BE INTRODUCED AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE, THE BILL BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WILL PROVIDE THOSE RIGHTS, DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS WHICH ARE NECESSARY FOR THE ORDERLY AND LAWFUL CONDUCT OF THIS COUNCIL, HE SAID.

+ON THIS UNDERSTANDING, I AM PLEASED TO GIVE MY SUPPORT TO THE UNANIMOUS VIEW OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT THIS BILL BE READ A SECOND TIME,+ HE CONCLUDED.

INDUSTRY GIVEN INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT

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THE GOVERNMENT SAW ITS ROLE AS PROVIDING AN ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ENABLE INDUSTRY TO FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY WITH THE MINIMUM OF INTERFERENCE, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, THE HON E.P. HO SAID TODAY.

IN THIS WAY IT WAS HOPED THAT HIGHER TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO HONG KONG.

MR HO WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG PO-YAN ON GOVERNMENT'S POLICY AND PLANS FOR DEVELOPING HIGH TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

HE EXPLAINED THAT ADVICE ON THE PROVISION OF SERVICES AND FACILITIES NEEDED BY INDUSTRY WAS CHANNELLED TO GOVERNMENT PRINCIPALLY THROUGH THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD (IDB) ON WHICH MAJOR TRADE AND INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS WERE REPRESENTED.

ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE IDB, PUBLIC FUNDS HAD BEEN PROVIDED FOR THREE RESEARCH PROJECTS RELATED TO ELECTRONICS AND COMPUTER- AIDED-DESIGN TECHNOLOGY WHICH WERE BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, IN ADDITION, A PHASED PROGRAMME HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED TO CONDUCT, ON A REGULAR BASIS, TECHNO-ECONOMIC AND MARKET RESEARCH STUDIES ON MAJOR SECTORS OF THE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY, NAMELY ELECTRONICS, PLASTICS, METALS, LIGHT ENGINEERING AND GARMENTS-TEXTILES.

/+SUCH RESEARCH