XN000022-1990-12-12 — Page 5

BILL TO ALLEVIATE STRUCTURAL RISK OF BUILDING PASSED

ENABLES THE THE BUILDINGS (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL 1990 WITCH

DANGEROUS ILLEGAL BUILDING AUTHORITY TO TAKE PROMPT ACTION TO REMOVE

AND BUILDING WORKS WAS PASSED IN THE AND UNAUTHORISED BUILDINGS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HON CHENG HON-KWAN,

FOUR LEGISLATORS, THE HON MARIA TAM, THE

RESUMED THE HON CHUNG PUI-LAM AND THE HON LEUNG WAI-TUNG SPOKE IN THE

FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND DEBATE OF THE BILL AND THE SECRETARY LANDS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, SPOKE ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT.

HON THE

PETER WONG ON THE WATER IN ADDITION, A MOTION BY

THREE MEMBERS, THE HON PETER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE WAS PASSED. WONG, THE HON MARTIN LEE AND THE HON EDWARD HO SPOKE ON THE MOTION.

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THE RETURN NUMBER OF NEWLY-CATEGORISED VBP DISAPPOINTING

* * *

VIETNAMESE

DID

FOR

THE NUMBER OF WITHDRAWALS FROM THE INITIAL GROUP OF BOAT PEOPLE (VBP) TO BE REPATRIATED IN THE CATEGORY OF THOSE WHO NOT OPPOSE REPATRIATION WAS DISAPPOINTING, THE ACTING SECRETARY SECURITY, THE HON IAN STRACHAN, INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT ENTIRELY UNEXPECTED THAT SOME CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW, THE SECRETARY SAID.

VBP WOULD

CHI-FAI, MR

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON POON STRACHAN SAID: "EACH PERSON HAD HIS OWN REASONS FOR WITHDRAWING.

"OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE INITIAL VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION FLIGHTS SHOWED A SIMILAR PATTERN, BUT ONCE WELL ESTABLISHED, THE DROP-OUT RATE QUICKLY DECLINED.

HE

THE GOVERNMENT HOPED A SIMILAR PATTERN SAID WITH THIS NEW CATEGORY.

WOULD

EMERGE

THE THE SECRETARY SAID HE COULD NOT, AT THIS STAGE, COMMENT ON

CURRENTLY BEFORE OUTCOME OR THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE JUDICIAL REVIEW

OF

ASYLUM NINE THE

RELATING TO THE DETERMINATION OF STATUS COURT, SEEKERS.

HE

FURTHER POINTED OUT THAT BOTH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WERE WORKING HARD TO ACHIEVE A RATE OF RETURN OF AT LEAST 1,000 MONTH.

UNHCR PER

**THE NUMBERS RETURNING TO VIETNAM

"THE OVERALL POPULATION IS ALSO

ARE INCREASING.

GRADUALLY

BUT

STEADILY

REDUCING.

BUILD

"WE

UNHCR ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN IN CONJUNCTION WITH

REPATRIATION UPON THIS TREND, AND INCREASE THE MOMENTUM OF THE

то

PROGRAMME," HE ADDED.

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