XN000022-1985-09-20 — Page 2

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1985

GOVERNMENT, UMELCO REVIEWING REDRESS SYSTEM

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THE GOVERNMENT AND UMELCO ARE PUTTING THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TO REVIEW THE WHOLE RANGE OF PROCEDURES IN THE REDRESS SYSTEM TO SEE WHETHER IT MEETS THE NEW NEEDS OF HONG KONG OR WHETHER SOME NEW MEASURES SHOULD BE INTRODUCED, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING COUNCIL'S KOWLOON BAY TRAINING CENTRE COMPLEX IN KWUN TONG, SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

+SO DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO SET THESE THINGS UP TOMORROW, HE SAID.

ASKED WHY THERE WERE PLANS TO SET UP AN OMBUDSMAN TO SCRUTINISE ADMINISTRATIVE MISCONDUCT, SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT THAT NO PLANS HAD BEEN FINALISED YET.

HE SAID: +WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS THE WHOLE RANGE OF PROCEDURES, SOME OF WHICH EXIST AND SOME OF WHICH SHOULD BE UPDATED, WHICH ALREADY EXIST AND HOW THEY CAN BE IMPROVED.

+BECAUSE HONG KONG IS CHANGING AND WE WILL HAVE A NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND SO WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO LOOK AT THE SYSTEMS AS WE HAVE NOW, AND DECIDE WHETHER THEY MEET THE NEW NEED OR WHETHER WE SHOULD INTRODUCE SOME NEW MEASURES.

+WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IS, AS YOU KNOW, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO EXERCISES. ONE IS BEING DONE IN THE GOVERNMENT AND ONE IS BEING DONE BY THE UMELCO MEMBERS, AND WE ARE PUTTING OUR HEADS TOGETHER.

+THERE IS QUITE A LOT OF HARD WORK TO BE DONE IN DECIDING WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GO AND THE RESOURCES WHICH THEY WILL TAKE.

+BUT THE WHOLE OBJECT IS TO KEEP UP-TO-DATE.+

ASKED WHETHER THERE WAS A DATE FOR SETTING UP AN OMBUDSMAN, SIR EDWARD SAID: +NO. THERE IS NO DATE FOR SETTING UP THE OMBUDSMAN. NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN TAKEN ON WHETHER TO SET UP THIS PARTICULAR KIND OF OFFICE OR WHETHER TO MAKE SOME MOD IF ICATION.+

ASKED WHETHER ONE OPTION BEING CONSIDERED WAS AN INDEPENDENT OMBUDSMAN TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS, HE SAID +THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OPTIONS WHICH WE ARE CONSIDERING.

+WHEN PEOPLE TALK OF OMBUDSMAN OR PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSIONER, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT SYSTEMS WHICH ARE IN OPERATION AROUND THE WORLD AND WHAT WE SHALL HAVE TO DO IS TO FIND A NEW SYSTEM, IF THAT IS THE WAY WE DECIDE TO GO, WHICH BEST SUITS HONG KONG'S SYSTEMS, BECAUSE THERE ARE ALREADY ARRANGEMENTS.

/+AS YOU