XN000022-1987-04-16 — Page 5

THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 1987

IN ADDITION, THE CONSULTANTS HAVE MADE A NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN RELATION TO THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND THE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE OF THE AMBULANCE COMMAND. THE GOVERNMENT WILL CARRY OUT A DETAILED STUDY TO EXAMINE AND IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE CONSULTANTS HAD NOT BEEN BRIEFED TO LOOK AT TRAINING ASPECTS AS THIS WAS NOT THEIR SPECIALTY. BUT

HE SAID THE AMBULANCE SERVICES REVIEW STEERING GROUP WAS ALREADY LOOKING AT THIS AREA AND PLANS WERE IN HAND TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF THE BASIC TRAINING SIGNIFICANTLY.

THE GROUP WOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT THE QUESTION OF ADVANCED TRAINING AND WHETHER THIS MIGHT BE INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG.

CS STATEMENT ON SECOND AIRPORT PROPOSALS

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FOLLOWING IS A STATEMENT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MR DAVID FORD, AFTER A MEETING THIS (THURSDAY) MORNING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A CONSORTIUM LED BY MR GORDON WU OF HOPEWELL HOLDINGS:

THE SECOND MEETING WITH MR GORDON WU HAS BEEN VERY USEFUL. THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSAL HAS BEEN EXAMINED IN DETAIL. IN THE VIEW OF THE GOVERNMENT MR WU'S PLANS CONCERN MEDIUM-TERM DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND AS SUCH, MUST BE LOOKED AT AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF GOVERNMENT'S OVERALL STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRPORT, THE PORTS AND ROAD DEVELOPMENTS.

WE ARE ALL AGREED THAT THERE IS A LONG-TERM NEED FOR A NEW AIRPORT IN HONG KONG. THE QUESTION OF TIMING IS THE CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN THE DECISION TO BUILD IT.

IN THE MEANTIME THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL TO EXAMINE KAI TAK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND ITS GROWTH IN DEMAND WITH A VIEW TO REACHING A DEFINITIVE DECISION AS TO THE MAXIMUM USEFUL LIFE OF THE EXISTING FACILITIES.

IT WAS ALSO NECESSARY TO CONSIDER WHETHER ANY WORK COULD BE DONE TO EXTEND THAT USEFUL LIFE. OBVIOUSLY IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF THE MAJOR INVESTMENT WHICH

HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE IN KAI TAK.

IN PARALLEL WITH THIS STUDY POLICY OPTIONS IN RELATION TO A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION. THIS INCLUDES THE PREVIOUS STUDY ON CHEK LAP KOK.

AS TO THE REMAINING COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSAL, THE GOVERNMENT INDICATED ITS PREFERENCE FOR A PHASED APPROACH. A WORKING GROUP UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING UNIT OF LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH, WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO WORK WITH MR GORDON WU'S PLANNERS TO DETERMINE HOW THE VARIOUS PROPOSED COMPONENTS COULD FIT INTO THE OVERALL GOVERNMENT STRATEGY. THIS CO-OPERATIVE EFFORT SHOULD RESULT IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF PREFERRED OPTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT'S INTENDED LONG TERM DEVELOPMENTS.

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