XN000022-1988-11-10 — Page 19

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1988

18

BUT SHE ALSO STRESSED THE NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN A NUMBER OF AREAS OF GOVERNMENT PLANNING.

ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL, MRS LAU CALLED FOR STRONGER ENFORCEMENT OF STATUTORY MEASURES TO BRING THE MESSAGE HOME.

"IN THE PAST, RELIANCE HAS BEEN PLACED TO A LARGE EXTENT ON STATUTORY CONTROLS, BUT AS WE HAVE SEEN IN THE CASE OF WATER POLLUTION, LEGISLATION ALONE IS INSUFFICIENT.

"ONE OF THE REASONS FOR OUR PRESENT PREDICAMENT IS THAT GOVERNMENT HAS IN THE PAST BEEN SLOW IN COMING ROUND TO THE POLLUTION GOVERNMENT HAS NOT PROBLEM, AND EVEN WHEN IT HAS COME AROUND TO IT, BEEN ABLE TO SUFFICIENTLY PLAN AHEAD, SHE SAID.

H

THE MRS LAU SAID PROGRAMMES, PARTICULARLY THOSE EXTENDING OVER

SO THAT NEXT DECADE, MUST BE DESIGNED WITH FORESIGHT AND FLEXIBILITY THEY WOULD BE CAPABLE OF MEETING THE EVER CHANGING AND INCREASING NEEDS OF SOCIETY.

"THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES RESULTING IN

SHIFT OF CONTINUOUS

POPULATION DENSITY AND OPENING UP OF NEW INDUSTRIAL ESTATES.

"I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT WISH TO SEE GOVERNMENT EMBARK ON AN EXPENSIVE 10-YEAR PROGRAMME ONLY TO FIND

FIND ON COMPLETION THAT THE ARE OUTDATED FACILITIES

AND INADEQUATE ΤΟ COPE REQUIREMENTS OF HONG KONG," SHE SAID.

THE WITH

THEN

MRS LAU BELIEVED THAT IN DEALING WITH ANY FORM OF POLLUTION, WHETHER WATER, AIR OR NOISE, PREVENTION WAS ALWAYS BETTER THAN CURE.

IS VERY IMPORTANT

"PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE POLLUTION PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE INCREASED, SHE SAID.

"THERE SHOULD BE WIDESPREAD CONSULTATION ON ANTI-POLLUTION MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED AND STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO UNDERSTANDING, ACCEPTANCE AND CO-OPERATION IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH MEASURES.

*

METHODS

FROM THE

IN PUBLIC

CANVASS THE

'I ALSO URGE GOVERNMENT TO UNDERTAKE RESEARCH INTO POSSIBLE COST-EFFECTIVE

AND TECHNIQUES WHICH CAN BE EMPLOYED BY INDIVIDUAL OPERATORS TO MINIMISE, ELIMINATE OR OTHERWISE CONTROL POLLUTION AT SOURCE.

TAKEN то INTRODUCH SUCH METHODS AND AND INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND SUCH ENCOURAGED то ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT SUCH

+ 'STEPS SHOULD BE TECHNIQUES TO FACTORIES ESTABLISHMENTS SHOULD TECHNIQUES AND METHODS.

BE

++

TURNING TO CIVIC

PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES

EDUCATION, MRS LAU SAID WHILE

FOR HIGHER EDUCATION WERE COMMENDABLE, THERE WERE NO PLANS AS TO HOW THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD EDUCATED AND GUIDED TO PREPARE THEM FOR 1997.

PLANS

то

BE

/"IT IS