XN000022-1986-10-08 — Page 30

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1946

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BILINGUAL EILLS LATER THIS SESSION

IT WAS HOPED THAT THE FIRST BILL TO HAVE BEEN DRAFTED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE WOULD BE PUT BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LATER THIS SESSION, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SIR EDWARD SAID THAT IT WAS INTENDED THAT AUTHENTIC CHINESE VERSIONS OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL.

+THIS WILL TAKE TIME, BECAUSE THERE IS A NEED TO CONSULT THE LEGAL PROFESSION, AND OTHERS, ON THE ISSUES INVOLVED, HE SAID,

+A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT WAS ISSUED IN APRIL AND MANY HELPFUL COMMENTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.+

A TOTAL OF 112 ITEMS OF LEGISLATION, OF WIDE PUBLIC INTEREST, HAD BEEN TRANSLATED AND WERE ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC. THIS WORK WOULD CONTINUE.

SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS CONTINUING TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE WIDER USE OF CHINESE IN OFFICIAL BUSINESS AND TO ENCOURAGE BILINGUALISM IN ITS WORK INGS.

HE POINTED OUT THAT SINCE THE EARLY 1970'S PUBLIC NOTICES, OFFICIAL FORMS AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS HAD BEEN DRAWN UP IN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE.

CORRESPONDENCE IN CHINESE FROM THE PUBLIC WAS ANSWERED IN CHINESE- PAPERS FOR DISCUSSION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, OR ITS SUB-COMMITTEES, WERE PREPARED IN BOTH LANGUAGES AS WERE ALL PAPERS FOR MEETINGS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, REGIONAL COUNCIL, DISTRICT BOARDS, AND FOR AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ADVISORY BOARDS

AND COMMITTEES.

SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION WAS ALSO PROVIDED AT MEETINGS WHENEVER REQUIRED, SIR EDWARD ADDED,

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