XN000022-1986-11-19 — Page 35

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MR LAU POINTED OUT THAT THE INTERPRETER (SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION) GRADE, ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED IN 1972 TO SERVICE MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HAD GROWN FROM FOUR POSTS TO 15 POSTS AND HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS, DISTRICT BOARDS, ALL MAJOR GOVERNMENT BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, AND PRESS CONFERENCES AS WELL.

+THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS SERVED BY OUR SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETERS HAS RISEN DRAMATICALLY FROM 283 IN 1981-82 TO 861 IN 1985-86, AND IT IS LIKELY TO REACH 1 000 BY THE END OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, HE SAID.

MR LAU POINTED OUT THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE ADJOURNMENT DEBATES IN THE CURRENT SESSION OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAD ALSO CREATED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE MANPOWER OF THE SIMULTANEOUS INTERPRETATION SECTION AS MORE INTERPRETERS WERE REQUIRED TO TACKLE THE LONG DEBATES WHICH BY NOW HAD BECOME A FEATURE OF HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SCENE.

+THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE AND MORE OPEN GOVERNMENT HAS ENTAILED MORE FREQUENT CONSULTATION WITH THE PUBLIC ON MORE ISSUES,+ HE SAID.

+PAPERS AND DOCUMENTS FOR PRESENTATION TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS, DISTRICT BOARDS, AND OTHER BOARDS AND COMMITTEES ARE NOW PROVIDED IN BOTH CHINESE AND ENGLISH.

+MY STAFF ARE CONSTANTLY RACING AGAINST TIME TO TRANSLATE URGENT DOCUMENTS WHICH ARE OF WIDE PUBLIC INTEREST TO ENSURE THAT THE CHINESE VERSION CAN BE PUBLISHED AND DISTRIBUTED CONCURRENTLY WITH THE ENGLISH VERSION WHENEVER POSSIBLE, HE SAID.

APART FROM PROVIDING TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION SERVICES, MR LAU SAID THE CHINESE LANGUAGE DIVISION ALSO PLAYED THE ROLE OF A WATCHDOG ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS COMPLIED WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY ON THE USE OF CHINESE IN ITS BUSINESS, TO ACHIEVE WIDER USE OF CHINESE OF A HIGH STANDARD WHICH SHOULD ALSO BE WELL PRESENTED AND READILY UNDERSTOOD BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

REGARDING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A MORE ACTIVE LEAD IN PROMOTING THE USE OF CHINESE IN AREAS BEYOND OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC, MR LAU SAID THESE WERE BEING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED BY THE POLICY BRANCHES AND DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED.

/HE SAID