XN000022-1987-02-18 — Page 19

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1987

17

+IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE AN INFANT HAS BEEN ABANDONED, NEGLECTED OR PERSISTENTLY ILL-TREATED, OR WHERE THE PARENT CANNOT BE FOUND, THE COURT MAY DISPENSE WITH THE CONSENT REQUIRED AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT CAN THEN PROCEED TO PLACE THE INFANT WITH THE PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENTS.+

HOWEVER

MR CHAMBERS POINTED OUT THAT ADOPTIVE PARENTS WERE, OFTEN RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT A CHILD WHEN THE ISSUE OF PARENTAL CONSENT WAS STILL UNRESOLVED.

+THERE HAVE BEEN CASES WHERE INFANTS WERE LEFT IN THE INSTITUTIONAL CARE OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT INDEFINITELY BECAUSE OF VACILLATION ON THE PART OF THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN,+ HE SAID.

+ IN OTHER CASES ADOPTION PROCEEDINGS HAVE HAD TO BE TERMINATED AT A VERY LATE STAGE OF THE SIX-MONTH PRE-ADOPTION PERIOD, RESULTING IN EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE TO ALL CONCERNED.+

MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT CLAUSE 4 OF THE BILL ENABLED THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE TO APPLY TO THE COURT FOR AN ORDER TO FREE AN INFANT WHO WAS ALREADY A WARD OF THE DIRECTOR FOR ADOPTION WHEN THE CONSENT OF THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN COULD NOT BE OBTAINED, SO AS TO ENABLE THE CHILD TO BE PLACED IN THE ADOPTIVE PARENTS'

HOME.

+ THE CLAUSE ALSO REQUIRES THE PARENTS OR GUARDIANS, IF THEY CAN BE FOUND, TO BE NOTIFIED BEFORE THE ORDER IS MADE, AND TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD, HE SAID.

IT WAS ALSO PROPOSED UNDER CLAUSE 5 OF THE BILL THAT THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE MIGHT CONCEAL THE WHEREABOUTS OF A CHILD WHO WAS THE SUBJECT OF SUCH AN APPLICATION TO PROTECT THE INFANT FROM POSSIBLE PHYSICAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERFERENCE AND TO MAINTAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE APPLICANT, WHEN THE CHILD WAS ALREADY LIVING WITH HIM.

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.

MOVE TO CHANGE HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY MEMBERS HIP

*****

MEMBERS HIP OF THE HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY WILL BE CHANGED AND ITS OPERATING PROCEDURES STREAMLINED UNDER AN AMENDMENT BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON.

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE HONG KONG EXAMINATIONS AUTHORITY (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987, HE SAID THE BILL PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP TO PROVIDE FOR BETTER AND MORE BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF RELEVANT INTERESTS IN THE AUTHORITY.

/CHANGES INCLUDE