XN000022-1987-03-25 — Page 11

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAD ALSO BEEN MADE SINCE 1980 IN THE TRANSLATION OF LEGISLATION, AND A TOTAL OF 153 ITEMS OF LEGISLATION OF MAJOR SIGNIFICANCE AND WIDE PUBLIC INTEREST HAD SO FAR BEEN TRANSLATED INTO CHINESE.

+ALTHOUGH THEY ARE NOT AUTHENTIC TEXTS, THESE TRANSLATION HAVE SERVED AS USEFUL REFERENCES FOR THE PUBLIC,+ MR BRIDGE SAID.

HE NOTED THAT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN JULY 1985 AUTHORISED THE PRODUCTION OF AN AUTHENTIC CHINESE VERSION OF THE LAWS OF HONG KONG AND THIS DECISION MEANT THAT CHINESE WOULD BE GIVEN A NEW STATUS AS AN ORIGINAL LANGUAGE OF LAW.

THE NECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO THE ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS WERE INTRODUCED LAST YEAR AND BILLS TO AMEND THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE AND THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ORDINANCE PAVING THE WAY FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF BILINGUAL LAWS, WERE PASSED BY THE COUNCIL TODAY, HE SAID.

MR BRIDGE SAID PROBLEMS WERE FORESEEN FOR AN IDEA PUT FORWARD BY THE HON LEE YU-TAI WHO SUGGESTED THAT A CHINESE LANGUAGE FOUNDATION, WITH ADEQUATE PUBLIC FUNDING, WOULD BE BEST PLACED TO UNDERTAKE THE JOB OF PROVIDING GOOD-QUALITY READING MATERIALS IN CHINESE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

+ ALTHOUGH THE WORKING PARTY ADVOCATED THAT THE PROPOSED FOUNDATION SHOULD PROVIDE GENERAL READING MATERIALS FOR THE PUBLIC, IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW THIS MIGHT BE ACCOMPLISHED, NOR HOW LARGE AN INJECTION OF PUBLIC FUNDS MIGHT BE REQUIRED, NOR WHETHER IT IS IN FACT A PROPER FUNCTION FOR A GOVERNMENT OR A GOVERNMENT- FUNDED BODY TO ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE WHAT PEOPLE READ AT THEIR LEISURE.+

HOWEVER, MR BRIDGE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WELCOME ANY PRIVATE INITIATIVE TO SET UP A FUND TO SPONSOR THE PUBLICATION OF GOOD-QUALITY READING MATERIALS IN CHINESE.

+ BUT I DO NOT FEEL IT IS EITHER NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BE SEEN TO BE INVOLVED IN DECIDING WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC TO READ. +

MR BRIDGE ALSO SAID THAT IN THE LIGHT OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND POLYTECHNIC GRANTS COMMITTEE, THE GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE VOLUME OF FUNDS TO BE MADE FOR RESEARCH AT THE VARIOUS TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS DURING THE NEXT TRIENNIUM.

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