XN000022-1989-05-10 — Page 30

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1989

OUR

"WE SIMPLY WANT ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE,' HE SAID.

1.

ESTIMATES

AND ASSESSMENTS ΤΟ BE AS

MR TSAO SAID MORE RESEARCH SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT INTO WHAT MADE PEOPLE LEAVE AND WHAT FACTORS THEY SAW AS POSSIBLE OBSTACLES TO THEIR RETURN.

"WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW INFORMATION ABOUT JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG HONG INCLUDING CIVIL SERVICE VACANCIES - CAN BE BETTER BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF PEOPLE OVERSEAS, INCLUDING OF COURSE, FORMER HONG KONG RESIDENTS.

"THE EDUCATION FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN OF RETURNEES ARB UNDER REVIEW. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF BOOSTING STILL FURTHER THE PRODUCTION OF TERTIARY GRADUATES EACH YEAR, MR TSAO SAID.

HE ADDED THAT OTHER SUGGESTIONS MADE IN THE DEBATE WOULD BE CONSIDERED BY THE RELEVANT POLICY SECRETARIES.

ON THE QUESTION OF COMPUTER DATA PROTECTION, MR TSAO SAID THERE WAS A NEED TO LOOK AT THE POSSIBLE THREAT TO HONG KONG'S POSITION AS A FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTRE BECAUSE SEVERAL COUNTRIES HAD ENACTED THEIR OWN DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION AND HAD RATIFIED A CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF INDIVIDUALS.

"THIS CONVENTION PROVIDES AN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL BASIS FOR RESTRICTIONS ON THE FLOW OF PERSONAL DATA TO COUNTRIES OR TERRITORIES WHICH DO NOT HAVE SIMILAR LEGISLATION OF THEIR OWN, HE POINTED OUT.

H

"AT THIS STAGE THE THREAT DOES NOT APPEAR IMMINENT BUT IT IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WHICH WE CANNOT IGNORE." HE ADDED.

"AS FAR AS THE RIGHTS OF DATA SUBJECTS ARE CONCERNED INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND POLITICAL KONG SUBSCRIBES THROUGH THE UNITED KINGDOM, SHALL BE SUBJECTED TO ARBITRARY OR UNLAWFUL PRIVACY AND THAT EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO THE AGAINST SUCH INTERFERENCE, HE SAID.

THE

RIGHTS TO WHICH

HONG

PROVIDES THAT NO INTERFERENCE WITH PROTECTION OF THE

ONE

HIS

LAW

THE

"WE ARE THEREFORE LOOKING AT WAYS TO ENSURE THAT PROTECTION AFFORDED BY THE COVENAENT IS ENSHRINED IN STATUTE," MR TSAO

SAID.

"THE AIM OF LEGISLATION IS THEREFORE TO PROTECT AND INDEED то RECONCILE THE INTERESTS OF ALL PARTIES, HE ADDED.

"

MR TSAO SAID THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL DECIDED IN MARCH 1987 THAT DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN HONG KONG.

IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT A WORKING GROUP WHICH WOULD INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR SHOULD BE SET UP TO CONDUCT AN EXAMINATION OF LEGISLATION ADOPTED IN OTHER COUNTRIES, AS A FOR THE WORK IN FORMULATING LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS FOR ADDED.

HONG

REFERENCE KONG. HE

/AS THIS

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