XN000022-1989-12-18 — Page 4

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1989

THE

"THE PRACTICE OF COMMON STANDARDS IS EQUALLY BENEFICIAL TO COUNTRIES WHICH EXPORT TO HONG KONG BECAUSE IN MOST CASES, IMPORTED GOODS SATISFYING DOMESTIC OR INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED STANDARDS WILL AUTOMATICALLY ACCORD WITH THE STANDARDS OF HONG KONG WITHOUT THE NEED FOR ANY ALTERATIONS OF COMPONENTS OR DESIGNS.

"AND, INFERIOR PRODUCTS NOT UP TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS WILL NOT FLOW INTO THE LOCAL MARKET, HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID THE WORKING GROUP ON TOYS SAFETY, WHICH WAS SET UP IN APRIL LAST YEAR, AND COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES FROM CONCERNED GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND MANUFACTURERS, HAD INITIALLY DECIDED TO ADOPT THE STANDARDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF TOY INDUSTRIES AS THE BASE FOR LEGISLATION ON THE CONTROL OF TOYS SAFETY.

"THE STANDARDS ARE VERY COMPREHENSIVE, AND INCLUDE DRIVEN TOYS, SCIENTIFIC TOYS, HANDICRAFT TOYS, SPORTS EQUIPMENT AND TOYS USED IN THE GARDEN.

"THE MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION, FUNCTIONS SUCH AS THE NOISE AND HEAT EMITTED, PACKAGING AND LABELS OF THE TOYS ALL FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF CONTROL," HE SAID.

ON CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS, MR CHAN SAID THAT AS THERE WERE NO EXISTING INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STANDARDS, THE WORKING GROUP HAD SUGGESTED USING THE STANDARDS OF THE BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION AS THEY WERE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE OF ALL THE VARIOUS STANDARDS AND MIGHT BE RECOGNISED AS INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

"THE SCOPE INCLUDES BUNK BEDS, PUSHCHAIRS, SAFETY BARRIERS · HIGHCHAIRS, ETC. EVEN THOUGH THE ITEMS UNDER CONTROL ARE BY NO MEANS EXHAUSTIVE, THEY INCLUDE THE MOST COMMONLY USED CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS,' HE SAID.

MR CHAN SAID THE TOYS SAFETY STANDARDS UNDER THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION WERE AIMED AT PROTECTING CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14 WHILE IN THE CASE OF CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS SAFETY, THOSE PROTECTED WERE MUCH YOUNGER.

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HE SAID THE BILL WOULD SET OUT CLEAR INTERPRETATION OF 'CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS" AND IT WOULD ALSO LIST THE PRODUCTS NOT SUBJECT TO CONTROL SO THAT BUSINESSMEN COULD SPECIFICALLY IF THEIR PRODUCTS WERE RESTRICTED BY THE LAW OR NOT.

AND WERE

BEING

"TOYS"

WHICH KNOW

ON THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION, MR CHAN SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S PRELIMINARY PLAN WAS TO EMPOWER THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE DEPARTMENT TO BE THE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT WHOSE MAIN DUTIES WERE TO RECEIVE COMPLAINTS, MAKE INVESTIGATIONS AND THEN то TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS SUCH AS PROSECUTION.

HE SAID IT WAS HOPED THAT THE BILL WOULD DE SUBMITTED то THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

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