XN000022-1986-03-26 — Page 39

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1986

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+ BESIDES, WITH MORE MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS BEING SET UP IN HONG KONG, THERE IS A GREAT DEMAND FOR LOCALLY TRAINED COUNSEL, WHICH MAKES IT EVEN HARDER FOR GOVERNMENT TO RECRUIT LOCAL LAWYERS. +

IN ORDER NOT TO HINDER LOCALISATION, THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT CONSIDER, PARTICULARLY, THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND FACTOR WHILE DECIDING THE SALARY LEVELS OF CIVIL SERVANTS. IT SHOULD INCREASE THE SALARY OF LOCAL COUNSEL TO SUCH A LEVEL THAT THEY FIND IT ATTRACTIVE ENOUGH TO JOIN THE CIVIL SERVICE, + HE SAID.

+MOREOVER, GOVERNMENT MAY CONSIDER THE IDEA OF

DISESTABLISHING THE LEGAL AID SERVICE FROM THE CIVIL SERVICE STRUCTURE AND TRANSFERRING IT TO THE HONG KONG BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE LAW SOCIETY OF HONG KONG SO THAT GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE IN THIS AREA CAN BE REDUCED.+

TURNING TO BILINGUALISM, MR YEUNG SAID THE PROGRAMME TO TRANSLATE ALL LAWS INTO CHINESE HAD REVEALED THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSLATORS. ADEQUATE RESOURCES SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO SPEED UP THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BILINGUALISM AS RECOMMENDED BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.

FINALLY, MR YEUNG SAID SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN CIVIC EDUCATION AND POINTED OUT THAT THE TARGET TO LOWER THE PROPORTION OF SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

TO STUDENTS FROM ONE TO 4 000 TO ONE TO 2 000 WAS STILL UNATTAINED ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROPOSED FOUR YEARS AGO.

+ I EARNESTLY HOPE THAT GOVERNMENT WOULD PLACE EMPHASIS ON THIS SERVICE WHICH HELPS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION AND EASE THE YOUTH PROBLEM, HE SAID.

KA WAH BANK DEAL SETS 'DANGEROUS PRECEDENT'

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THE ADMINISTRATION'S HANDLING OF THE KA WAH BANK MATTER IS A VERY DANGEROUS PRECEDENT FOR SIDESTEPPING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO SCRUTINISE ALL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

INVOLVING PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, THE HON MARTIN LEE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING DURING THE BUDGET DEBATE, MR LEE SAID HE WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE APPROPRIATION BILL UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT HAD SUPPLIED TO THE COUNCIL ALL THE MATERIAL INFORMATION RELATING TO THE KA WAH BANK DEAL.

HE SAID IT APPEARED THAT $600 MILLION OR MORE MIGHT HAVE TO BE PAID OUT FROM THE EXCHANGE FUND IN DISCHARGE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S OBLIGATION WITH THE CHINA INTERNATIONAL TRUST AND INVESTMENT CORPORATION AS THE GUARANTOR OF THE MANY CREDITORS OF THE BANK.

/+I AM