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WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1991

MRS WONG POINTED OUT THAT WITH THE WINDING UP OF THE MEMORIAL FUND, IT FOLLOWED THAT ITS COMMITTEE WOULD NO LONGER BE TO FUNCTION IN ITS PRESENT FORM.

W..2

AB. E

"HOWEVER, THE COMMITTEE WILL BE RECONSTITUTED THROUGH THIS BILL AS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO ADVISE ON THE ELIGIBILITY OF APPLICANTS AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE PENSIONS LEGISLATION, MRS WONG SAID.

IN ADDITION TO SLIGHTLY OVER 700 EXISTING BENEFICIARIES OF THE WAR MEMORIAL FUND AND THE FAR EASTERN RELIEF FUND, THE PROPOSED PENSIONS WOULD ALSO BENEFIT NEW APPLICANTS WHO MET BASIC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA DERIVED FROM THE EXISTING WAR MEMORIAL FUND ORDINANCE.

IN OTHER WORDS, SHE SAID, PENSIONS WOULD BE PAID TO PERSONS WHO, WHILE SERVING IN SPECIFIED VOLUNTEER UNITS, WERE HELD IN CAPTIVITY BY THE ENEMY AND TO THE WIDOWS OR WIDOWERS OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED DURING THE FIGHTING OR WHO DIED IN SUBSEQUENT CAPTIVITY.

THOSE

"CIVILIANS WHO WERE TORTURED AND THE WIDOWS OR WIDOWERS OF EXECUTED FOR ACTS OF RESISTANCE WILL ALSO CONTINUE то ВЕ ELIGIBLE, MRS WONG ADDED.

IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE 48 POTENTIAL APPLICANTS WHO MET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE REMOVAL OF THE INCOME THRESHOLD REQUIREMENT.

FUND

THE EXISTING LEVEL OF BENEFITS UNDER THE HONG KONG WAR MEMORIAL WOULD PROVIDE THE BENCHMARK FOR PAYMENTS UNDER THE NEW PENSION ARRANGEMENTS, MRS WONG SAID, ADDING THAT THESE PAYMENTS WOULD BK REVIEWED ANNUALLY IN LINE WITH INFLATION.

MRS WONG ALSO NOTED THAT AS THIS YEAR MARKED THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEFENCE OF HONG KONG, THE AWARD OF PENSIONS WAS FITTING RECOGNITION FOR THE SUFFERING WHICH AN UNBOWED GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN ENDURED AND HAD HAD TO LIVE WITH SINCE THOSE PAINFUL DAYS.

THE DEBATE ON THIS BILL WAS ADJOURNED.

GOVT WELCOMES THINK TANKS ON INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

THE GOVERNMENT WELCOMES INITIATIVES FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO SET

SET UP THINK TANKS AND ADVISE IT ON HOW TO KEEP PACE WITH INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE REGION, THE ACTING FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY THE HON PAUL CHENG, MR MACLEOD A RECENT STUDY ON "TECHNOLOGY ROAD MAPS"

HONG KONG WAS A

SAID

IN

GOOD

EXAMPLE IN POINT.

"THIS PROJECT

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