XN000022-1986-01-15 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1986

LEGCO TO BE INFORMED IMMEDIATELY ON UK RESPONSE

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IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO INFORM THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS SOON AS RESPONSE ON THE DRAFT HONG KONG (BRITISH NATIONALITY) ORDER 1986 IS RECEIVED FROM THE U.K. GOVERNMENT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO THE SPEECH BY THE HON LYDIA DUNN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON JANUARY 8, WHICH ASKED FOR A REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE DELIBERATIONS BY THE U.K. GOVERNMENT ON THIS ISSUE. SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS, HOWEVER, NOT POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO MAKE ANY INTERMEDIATE STATEMENT AT THIS STAGE.

+AS MINISTERS MADE CLEAR DURING THE DEBATES ON THE HONG KONG BILL LAST YEAR, THE PURPOSE OF THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE ON JANUARY 16 IS TO LISTEN TO VIEWS EXPRESSED IN PARLIAMENT ON THE DRAFT ORDER,

+UNTIL THIS DEBATE HAS TAKEN PLACE AND MINISTERS HAVE TAKEN ALL THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THAT DEBATE, AND MISS DUNN'S LETTER INTO CONSIDERATION IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO MAKE ANY INTERMEDIATE STATEMENT AT THIS STAGE, HE SAID.

LEGAL AID INCOME LIMIT RAISED

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THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) ADOPTED A MOTION APPROVING AN AMENDMENT TO THE LEGAL AID ORDINANCE TO INCREASE THE LIMIT OF DISPOSABLE INCOME FOR ELIGIBILITY FOR LEGAL AID IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES FROM $1 500 TO $2 200 PER MONTH.

MOVING THE RESOLUTION, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE INCREASE WAS TO SET A FIGURE WHICH FULLY REFLECTED INFLATION AS INDICATED BY THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPA (A)) SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF THE LEGAL AID IN 1966. AND TO ENSURE THAT THOSE OF LIMITED MEANS WOULD CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN COURTS.

SIR DAVID SAID THIS WAS AN INTERIM MEASURE PENDING THE REPORT OF THE LEGAL AID WORKING PARTY AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION, WHICH WAS PLANNED TO COMMENCE WITHIN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.

A REVISED SCALE OF CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS AN AIDED PERSON'S OWN LEGAL COSTS AND BASED UPON THE NEW LIMIT OF DISPOSABLE IMCOME WOULD BE BROUGHT INTO EFFECT CONTEMPORANEOUSLY, HE SAID.

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