XN000022-1992-06-24 — Page 11

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 1992

SUBTITLING IS ALSO QUITE COMMON IN OTHER TELEVISION PROGRAMMES, PARTICULARLY ON THE ENGLISH CHANNELS.

"GOVERNMENT IS

PERSONS,

SHE STATED.

SYMPATHETIC TO THE NEEDS OF

HEARING-TMPAIRED

**WE CONSIDER THAT SUCH SERVICE SHOULD BE EXTENDED. WE URGE THAT RTHK'S PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROGRAMMES BE SO SUBTITLED.

"WE WILL ALSO URGE LOCAL TELEVISION BROADCASTERS TO PROVIDE SUBTITLES OR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION FOR MORE PROGRAMMES AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE.

MRS WONG ALSO SAID THE GOVERNMENT KEPT A LIST OF SIGN INTERPRETERS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN HONG KONG.

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS REQUIRING SIGN MAY ASK FOR HELP FROM THESE SIGN INTERPRETERS.

INTERPRETATION

STRINGENT CONTROL OVER USE OF PESTICIDES

* *

*

SERVICE

USE

ALL INSECTICIDES ARE CONTROLLED UNDER THE PESTICIDES ORDINANCE WHICH AIMS AT PROTECTING THE PUBLIC FROM HAZARDS ARISING FROM THE OF SUCH PRODUCTS, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, SAID.

IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HUANG CHEN-YA IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), MRS WONG SAID ONLY PESTICIDES CONSIDERED SAFE COULD BE REGISTERED FOR LOCAL USE.

"THEY ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO BE PROPERLY PACKED AND LABELLED, "

SHE SAID.

"PERSONS DEALING IN PESTICIDES MUST ALSO BE LICENSED BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES.'

ו

AT PRESENT, THERE ARE 31 ORGANOPHOSPHATE COMPOUNDS REGISTERED AS PESTICIDES. IN HONG KONG.

OF THESE, ONLY 12 ARE READILY AVAILABLE IN THE LOCAL MARKET, INCLUDING 'CHLORPHRIFOS'.

HOWEVER, MRS WONG POINTED OUT THAT 'CHLORPHRIFOS' WAS NOT IN COMMON USE OWING TO ITS LIMITED APPLICATION AND THE AVAILABILITY OF OTHER SYNTHETIC PYRETHROID FORMULATIONS.

STAFF OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT CONDUCT REGULAR RANDOM CHECKS AT RETAIL OUTLETS TO ENSURE THAT PESTICIDES ARE PROPERLY PACKED AND LABELled.

PESTICIDES SAMPLES ARE TAKEN FROM THE LOCAL MARKET FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS TO CHECK IF ANY UNREGISTERED PESTICIDE IS BEING OFFERED FOR SALE.

/IN ADDITION