XN000022-1992-11-18 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1992

PUT FORWARD BY THE

PRIVACY

THE PROPOSALS

SUB-COMMITTEE FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION EXERCISE WILL SERVE AS A USEFUL FRAMEWORK ON WHICH THE WORKING GROUP WILL FINALISE ITS DELIBERATIONS AND DEVISE AN APPROPRIATE SYSTEM OF DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION FOR HONG KONG, AFTER HAVING DUE REGARD TO TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL AND OTHER CONSTRAINTS, HE SAID.

"THE WORKING GROUP HOPES TO PRESENT DRAFT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO THIS COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION IN EARLY 1994, HE SAID

WHEN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY EVIDENCE THAT EUROPEAN COUNTRIES WILL REFUSE TO EXCHANGE DATA WITH HONG KONG IF IT DID NOT HAVE ITS OWN DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION, MR SUEN SAID THE WORKING GROUP WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY SUCH INSTANCES.

HOWEVER, HE SAID THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMISSION'S REVISED DRAFT DIRECTIVE ON DATA PROTECTION OF OCTOBER 15, THIS YEAR ENVISAGED RESTRICTIONS ON THE TRANSFER OF PERSONAL DATA TO THIRD COUNTRIES WHICH *LACK AN ADEQUATE LEVEL OF PROTECTION'.

ALTHOUGH THE CURRENT DEADLINE FOR ADOPTION OF THE DIRECTIVE WAS JULY 1,

1994, MR SUEN SAID THE COMMISSION HAD FURTHER PROPOSED TO GIVE AN ADDITIONAL TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OF NO LONGER THAN TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS FOR PROCESSING OPERATIONS WHICH BEGAN BEFORE THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE DIRECTIVE.

IN THIS CONNECTION, HE STRESSED THAT THE TIMING OF HONG KONG'S PLANNED INTRODUCTION OF DATA PROTECTION LEGISLATION WAS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DIRECTIVE.

BOUNDARIES BETWEEN HK AND GUANGDONG BEING NEGOTIATED

* * * * *

IS CURRENTLY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

NEGOTIATING WITH THE AN GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT TO ARRIVE AT

AGREED BOUNDARY HONG ADMINISTRATION BETWEEN

KONG AND GUANGDONG WHICH WILL RECOGNISED BY BOTH SIDES AND OPERATED BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER 1997.

OF BE

SECURITY,

MR

IAN

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR STRACHAN, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON JAMES TO KUN-SUN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

AS THE SECRETARY SAID THE BOUNDARIES OF HONG KONG

DEFINED IN BEEN CHAPTER 1 INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE, HAD NOT

1 ALTERED OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS.

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