XN000022-1988-05-25 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1988

OF THESE 10 CENTRES, SIX WERE BUILT BEFORE 1970, THEIR DESIGNS WERE OUT-OF-DATE AND THE HALLS WERE TOO SMALL OR NOT SUITABLE FOR SPORTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES,

ANOTHER TWO WERE COMMISSIONED JUST BEFORE THE SURVEY AND THE VOLUNTARY AGENCIES ACCOMMODATED IN THE WELFARE BLOCKS HAD NOT COME INTO FULL OPERATION.

"NOTWITHSTANDING THE ABOVE, THE RELATIVELY LOW UTILISATION RATES OF THE 10 CENTRES WERE ONLY CONFINED ΤΟ THE MORNINGS AND AFTERNOONS.

IN THE EVENING, THE UTILISATION RATES OF THESE CENTRES VARIED FROM 50 TO 96 PER CENT, OR AN AVERAGE UTILISATION RATE OF 75 PER CENT,' MR LIAO SAID.

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IN ADDITION, LOCAL ORGANISATIONS AND DISTRICT BOARDS WERE BEING ENCOURAGED TO MAKE MORE USE OF THE CENTRES FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMMES, HE ADDED.

AMENDMENTS TO LONG-SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME PLANNED

THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO INTRODUCE NEXT MONTH AMENDMENTS TO EXISTING LEGISLATION GOVERNING THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME FOR WORKERS, THE SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON RON BRIDGE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TAM YIU-CHUNG, MR BRIDGE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALSO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION NEXT MONTH ΤΟ ESTABLISH AN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH COUNCIL.

"THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE LONG SERVICE PAYMENT SCHEME WILL PROVIDE FOR PAYMENT ON GROUNDS OF ILL HEALTH, OLD AGE, OR ON THE DEATH OF THE EMPLOYEE, HE SAID.

H

DRAFTING HAS PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY IN GENERAL, EXCEPT THAT IT HAS PROVED RATHER COMPLICATED TO SET OUT IN LEGAL LANGUAGE THE PROVISIONS FOR PAYMENT UPON THE DEATH OF AN EMPLOYEE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PAYMENT WENT TO THE RIGHT PERSON.

"AFTER CAREFUL