XN000022-1985-11-27 — Page 18

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27,

1985

+ I WOULD URGE MAXIMUM COOPERATION FROM THE POLICE TO THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN COMBATTING THE TRIAD MENACE AMONG HAWKERS,+ HE SAID.

MR CHEONG-LEEN NEXT OBSERVED THAT LEGISLATION REGARDING ADVERTISEMENT SIGNS WAS ANOTHER MATTER OF CONCERN TO THE URBAN COUNCIL WHICH DECIDED MANY YEARS AGO THAT IT DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED ENGINEERING SKILLS AND FACILITIES TO EFFECTIVELY CONTROL THEM.

IT WAS AGREED WITH GOVERNMENT IN 1977 THAT THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION SHOULD BE ENACTED TO FACILITATE GOVERNMENT TAKING OVER THIS TASK, HE RECALLED,

+DESPITE INNUMERABLE REMINDERS TO GOVERNMENT OVER THE YEARS, NOTHING SO FAR HAS HAPPENED.

+AS THE SECRETARY FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICES IS ONCE AGAIN MAKING A PLEA FOR THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION TO BE ENACTED,

! SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF SUCH LEGISLATION CAN BE ENACTED DURING THE CURRENT 1985-86 SESSION, HE SAID.

MR CHEONG-LEEN ALSO SAID THAT IN CO-OPERATION WITH GOVERNMENT, THE URBAN COUNCIL HOPED TO SEE THE COMPLETION OF THE HONG KONG CULTURAL CENTRE OPPOSITE THE PENINSULA HOTEL BY 1989.

CALL TO INTRODUCE POLITICAL REFORMS CAUTIOUSLY

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POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG SHOULD ONLY BE MADE IN TANDEM WITH THE BASIC LAW WHICH IS TO BE DRAFTED AND PASSED BY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS, THE HON HO SAI-CHU SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING AT THE POLICY DEBATE AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR HO SAID ANY POLITICAL REFORMS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD SHOULD BE INTRODUCED CAUTIOUSLY AND LINKED TO THE FUTURE CONSTITUTION OF HONG KONG,

HE THEREFORE URGED ALL CONCERNED WHO MIGHT HAVE VIEWS ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW TO EXPRESS THE IR OPINIONS THROUGH THE RELEVANT CHANNELS SO THAT A FRAMEWORK OF ENDURING INSTITUTIONS MIGHT BE BUILT WHICH WOULD MAINTAIN CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.

MR HO WELCOMED THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS ABOUT THE BASIC LA* IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS, AND THE FIRM COMMITMENT OF BOTH THE RITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TO MAINTAIN LOCAL PROSPERITY AND STABILITY.

/HE ALSO