XN000022-1987-02-24 — Page 8

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1987

THEY COULD ALSO TAKE EARLY ACTION TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE MEASURES SO THAT BY THE TIME THE LEGISLATION CAME INTO FORCE THEY WOULD BE FULLY PREPARED FOR THE REQUIREMENTS EXPECTED OF THEM, HE ADDED.

MR SO NOTED THAT THE WORKING GROUP ON DATA PROTECTION WAS SET UP IN MAY 1983 TO FORMALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN THE WAKE OF PROLIFERATION OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS.

AFTER EXAMINING THE PRINCIPLES ENSHRINED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DATA PROTECTION ACT 1984, THE WORKING GROUP TOOK THE VIEW THAT WITH MINOR MODIFICATIONS, THE PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE ADOPTED IN HONG KONG.

THE GROUP ALSO STUDIED THE COMPUTER SYSTEMS OPERATED IN THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT, THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE AND THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT.

+ IT SUBSEQUENTLY CONCLUDED THAT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE DATA PROTECTION PRINCIPLES AND ACCORDINGLY A CIRCULAR SETTING OUT THE PRINCIPLES WAS ISSUED TO ALL DEPARTMENTS IN SEPTEMBER 1985 FOR OBSERVANCE UNDER APPROPRIATE CIRCUMSTANCES.

+ IN ADDITION, SOME ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES WERE ALSO ATTACHED TO THE CIRCULAR TO FACILITATE DEPARTMENTS IN IMPLEMENTING MEASURES TO COMPLY WITH THE PRINCIPLES,+ MR SO SAID.

AS REGARDS THE SITUATION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, FOUR COMPUTER AND RELATED PERSONNEL WERE INVITED TO HELP WITH THE REVIEW AND A SURVEY INVOLVING 51 PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS WAS CONDUCTED IN EARLY 1985.

RESULTS PROPOSED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY TO OVERSEE THE WORKINGS OF THE LEGISLATION AND TO PUBLISH ITS FINDINGS OF CASES OF NON-COMPLIANCE.

MR SO SAID THAT THE WORKING GROUP HAD RECENTLY COMPLETED ITS EXAMINATION AND A REPORT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNMENT LAST SEPTEMBER TO FACILITATE CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER LEGISLATION FOR DATA PROTECTION WAS REQUIRED IN HONG KONG.

+A POLICY DECISION WILL SOON BE MADE HAVING DUE REGARD TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND NEEDS OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

HE ADDED THAT BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD COME UP WITH A SET OF LEGISLATION MOST SUITABLE TO HONG KONG, VARIOUS PRACTICAL CONS IDERATIONS INVOLVED HAD TO BE CAREFULLY EXAMINED.

THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IR DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATIONS HAD TO BE CONS IDERED AS WELL, HE SAID.

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