XN000022-1985-10-30 — Page 33

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1985

ON THE FIRE SERVICES

SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO INTRODUCE AMENDMENTS TO PRESENT LEGISLATION, MAKING IT A DIRECT OFFENCE TO PLACE MOVABLE OBJECTS IN CORRIDORS OR ON STAIRCASES.

+LOCK ING GATES ACROSS ESCAPE ROUTES WILL ALSO BE MADE A SPECIFIC OFFENCE, HE SAID,

THE GOVERNOR SAID SUBSTANTIAL HUMAN AND FINANCIAL LOSSES WERE SUFFERED EACH YEAR AS A RESULT OF FIRE, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE WAY IN WHICH FIRE-FIGHTING WAS FREQUENTLY HAMPERED BY GOODS AND OTHER OBSTACLES STACKED IN COMMON AREAS OF BUILDINGS.

ON THE QUESTION OF LEGAL AID, HE SAID THAT THE LAST COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF LEGAL AID SERVICES HAD TAKEN PLACE IN

1971.

+AT THAT TIME THE GOVERNMENT WAS SPENDING $1.5 MILLION PER ANNUM ON LIMITED SERVICES; TODAY IT IS SPENDING A LITTLE OVER $80 MILLION PER ANNUM ON A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF SERVICES.

+ALLOWING FOR THE IMPACT OF INFLATION, THIS REPRESENTS MORE THAN A TEN-FOLD INCREASE OVER 15 YEARS, HE SAID.

A WORKING PARTY WAS EXAMINING ALL MATTERS RELATING TO THIS IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR LEGAL SYSTEM,

+WHEN ITS REVIEW HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THERE WILL BE FULL CONSULTATION WITH THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, PROBABLY IN EARLY 1986, HE SAID.

25 NEW LEGCO MEMBERS SWORN IN *****

TWENTY-FIVE NEW MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, ELECTED AND APPOINTED, WERE SWORN IN AT THE START OF THE 1985-86 SESSION THIS AFTERNOON.

OF THEM, 12 MADE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AFFIRMATION, 12 TOUR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OATH, AND ONE TOOK THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

FOLLOWING IS THE ORDER OF SWEARING-IN:

MR JACKIE CHAN CHA 1-KEUNG

MR CHENG HON-KWAN

LEGCO AFF. (CHINESE)

LEGCO OATH (ENGLISH)

/DR CHIU