XN000022-1993-11-10 — Page 12

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1993

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BUT IT IS A GENERAL PRACTICE THAT THEY DO NOT DISCHARGE OBLIGATIONS ON SUCH DEPOSITS.

THEIR

WILL STILL

IF THE DEPOSITS ARE EVENTUALLY CLAIMED, THE BANKS REPAY THE AMOUNT IN FULL, SAVE FOR ANY CHARGES WHICH MAY BE APPLICABLE TO THE TRANSACTION.

MR

SAID CARTLAND

CLASSIFICATION OF DEPOSITS VARIED UNCLAIMED

FROM BANK TO BANK INDUSTRY-WIDE OR INTERNATIONAL DEFINITIONS.

DORMANT ACCOUNTS THE IN

AND

ABSENCE OF

"IT

IS NOT POSSIBLE THEREFORE TO HAVE AN ACCURATE UNCLAIMED DEPOSITS IN THE BANKING SYSTEM," HE SAID.

FIGURE FOR

PHI RISK LEVEL IS LOW

THE GOVERNMENT POLICY ON POTENTIAL HAZARDOUS INSTALLATION (PHI) IS TO REDUCE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THESE INSTALLATIONS TO LEVELS WHICH ARE AS LOW AS IS REASONABLY PRACTICABLE, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR TONY EASON, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"THIS IS DONE BY CONTROLLING THE SITING OF PHIS AND LAND USE IN THEIR VICINITY, AND BY REQUIRING THE INSTALLATION TO BE CONSTRUCTED AND OPERATED TO SPECIFIED STANDARDS, HE SAID.

tr

IN HIS REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON MAN SAI-CHEONG, MR EASON SAID THERE WERE ONLY 34 PHIS IN HONG KONG.

HE SAID THESE INCLUDED THE LARGER LPG STORAGE FACILITIES, GAS WORKS. CHLORINE STORES AT WATER TREATMENT WORKS AND EXPLOSIVES FACTORIES AND DEPOTS.

SINCE DECEMBER 1986, AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE, THE CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE ON THE LAND USE PLANNING AND CONTROL RELATING TO POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS INSTALLATIONS (CCPHI), HAS CO-ORDINATED ACTION ON PHIS.

A

"FOR EACH PHI, THE SURROUNDING POPULATION IS ESTABLISHED BY PLANNING STUDY AND THE RISK LEVELS ARE EVALUATED BY A HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF THE PLANT.

"THE OVERALL RISK LEVELS POSED ARE THEN JUDGED AGAINST A SET OF GUIDELINES FORMULATED BY CCPHI TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE.

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NEW PHIS WILL NOT NORMALLY BE APPROVED UNLESS THEY COMPLY WITH THE RISK GUIDELINES, HE SAID.

FOR EXISTING PHIS WHICH DO NOT INITIALLY MEET THE RISK GUIDELINES, CCPHI WILL DETERMINE WHAT RISK MITIGATION MEASURES ARE NECESSARY TO BRING THE RISK LEVELS DOWN.

/IF NECESSARY,