XN000022-1985-06-26 — Page 38

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985

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CONTROL OF PRIVATE BILLIARD CLUBS STUDIED

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THE SECRETARY FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES AS LOOKING INTO THE COMPLEX ISSUES INVOLVED IN DETERMINING WHETHER AND HOW SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL SHOULD BE INTRODUCED OVER THE OPERATION OF BILLIARD CENTRES BY SO-CALLED PRIVATE CLUBS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SSID PWAY.

SIR DAVID HAD EARLIER SAID, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PAULINE NG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT EXERCISE SUPERVISION OVER THE OPERATION OF BILLIARD CENTRES RUN BY PRIVATE CLUBS.

NOR DID THE LICENSING CONDITIONS APPL ABLE TO PUBLIC CENTRES APPLY TO PRIVATE CLUBS.

MRS NG HAD ASKED ABOUT SUPERVISION OVER BILLIARD CENTRES RUN BY PRIVATE CLUBS, AND ABOUT SAFEGUARDS TO ENSURE THAT +SO-CALLED PRIVATE CLUBS+ WERE NOT BEING USED TO CIRCUMVENT THE LICENSING CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO PULIC BLLIARD CENTRES.

TWO BANK BILLS GET SECOND READINGS

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A BILL PROVIDING FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE UNDERTAKING OF THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY TO THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP PUBLIC LIMIT COMPANY WAS GIVEN ITS SECOND READING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

SENIOR MEMBER THE HON SIR ROGER LOBO, SAID THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND, A UNITED KINGDOM-RECOGNISED BANK AND A LICENSED BANK IN HONG KONG, PROPOSED TO MERGE ITS WORLDWIDE BUSINESS WITH THAT OF WILLIAMS AND GLYN'S BANK, ALSO A UNITED KINGDOM-RECOGNISED BANK, BUT WITH NO BANKING BUSINESS IN HONG KONG.

+BOTH THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND AND THE WILLIAMS AND GLYN'S BANK ARE EXISTING SUBSIDIARIES OF THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP AND IT IS PROPOSED TO EFFECT THE MERGER BY THE TRANSFER OF THE BUSINESSES OF THE TWO BANKS TO A THIRD SUBSIDIARY OF THE SAME GROUP, RBSG PLC - THE NEW BANK, + SIR ROGER SAID.

HE SAID LEGISLATION WAS BEING PROMOTED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM TO EFFECT THE MERGER THERE AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PRESENT BILL WAS TO EFFECT THE TRANSFER OF THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND'S HONG KONG BUSINESS TO THE NEW BANK.

WADON THE