XN000022-1988-07-20 — Page 37

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1988

AND

ON

THE

THIS WOULD ENABLE A DIVISION OF LABOUR BETWEEN PROMOTION ENCOURAGEMENT ON THE ONE HAND, AND INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT OTHER, HE SAID.

MR WONG POINTED OUT THE EXISTING DOUBLE IDENTITY OF LABOUR DEPARTMENT AS BOTH "PROMOTER" AND "POLICEMAN", WHICH CONSIDERED AS UNSATISFACTORY.

THE

HE

THE MAIN OBJECT OF SETTING UP THE COUNCIL, HE SAID, WAS TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM AND ACHIEVE HIGHER OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS.

BE

ABLE

MR WONG ALSO NOTED THE REMARK THAT THE COUNCIL SHOULD TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON POLICIES AND LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS RELATING TO INDUSTRIAL SAFETY, AND TO MONITOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S ENFORCEMENT ACTION,

HE SAID CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL, WHETHER RELATED TO POLICY OR OTHER AREAS, WERE WELCOME, AS ONE MAJOR FUNCTION OF THE COUNCIL WAS ΤΟ "ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON ANY LEGISLATIVE MEASURES NECESSARY TO IMPROVE THE STANDARDS OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK".

THE

"WE FIND IT DIFFICULT, HOWEVER, TO ACCEPT THE SUGGESTION THAT COUNCIL SHOULD MONITOR THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT'S STATUTORY

FUNCTIONS.

"IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE DEPARTMENT то BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE GOVERNMENT, MR WONG SAID, ADDING THAT THE DEPARTMENT WOULD NO DOUBT CO-OPERATE WITH THE COUNCIL IN PROMOTING SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK.

REFERRING TO A SUGGESTION THAT THE COUNCIL'S, OPERATIONS BE REVIEWED AFTER ONE YEAR TO SEE IF ITS RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE EXPANDED, MR WONG SAID ONE YEAR WOULD BE A LITTLE TOO SHORT.

+

"BUT IN VIEW OF MEMBERS KEEN INTEREST IN THIS MATTER, I AGREE THAT SUCH A REVIEW SHOULD TAKE PLACE, HE SAID.

MR WONG ALSO ADDED THAT SUGGESTIONS REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN WOULD BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE COUNCIL WAS SET UP.

AS REGARDS ELECTED MEMBERSHIP, HE SAID MORE CONSIDERATION WOULD BE REQUIRED, AND IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO CONSIDER THIS IN THE FIRST ROUND OF APPOINTMENT.

ON REFERENCES TO THE OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE OF THE INSURANCE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG TO ANY LEVY ON INSURANCE PREMIUM BEING USED TO FINANCE STATUTORY BODIES, MR WONG SAID THIS MATTER HAD BEEN DISCUSSED BEFORE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY.

/"OUR CONCLUSION