XN000022-1994-02-02 — Page 37

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1994

20

CONSULTATIONS WITH THE VEGETABLE TRADERS AND NEARBY RESIDENTS ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE RELOCATION WILL BE CARRIED OUT SOON.

THE APPROVAL OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL ΤΟ USE THE TEMPORARILY WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT LANDS, MR TONY EASON, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY DR THE TANG SIU-TONG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SITE

:

AND

HON

THE

MR EASON SAID IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE AT THIS STAGE TO CONFIRM EXACT TIMING OF THE RELOCATION BECAUSE IT WAS SUBJECT TO AGREEMENT BEING REACHED WITH THE VEGETABLE TRADERS ON THE LATEST SITE, THERE BEING NO SERIOUS OBJECTIONS FROM RESIDENTS IN THE VICINITY AND THE APPROVAL OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL.

MR EASON SAID A PERMANENT SITE NEAR THE YUEN LONG LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT TERMINUS IS RESERVED IN THE YUEN LONG OUTLINE ZONING PLAN FOR A PERMANENT vegeTABLE WHOLESALE MARKET.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE LAYOUT PLAN WOULD REQUIRE THE RESUMPTION PRIVATE LOTS, AND THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE COMPLETION DATE OF THE PERMANENT MARKET WAS THE YEAR 2000.

OF

MR EASON NOTED THAT THE EXISTING MARKET HAD BEEN IN OPERATION FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS.

WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN THE VICINITY IN RECENT YEARS, THE MARKET'S OPERATIONS HAVE CAUSED ENVIRONMENTAL AND TRAFFIC PROBLEMS.

THE DISTRICT THE VARIOUS SOLUTIONS

AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP, CHAIRED BY OFFICER (YUEN LONG) AND COMPRISING REPRESENTATIVES OF DEPARTMENTS CONCERNED, WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1987 TO IDENTIFY TO THE PROBLEMS AND CONSIDER THE RELOCATION OF THE MARKET.

A POSSIBLE SITE IN MA TIN ROAD WAS IDENTIFIED IN 1992 FOR THE TEMPORARY RELOCATION OF THE MARKET BUT THIS PROPOSAL WAS DROPPED LAST YEAR ON THE GROUNDS THAT THE MARKET WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE OPERATION OF A CIVIC CENTRE TO BE BUILT ADJACENT TO THE SITE.

0

CONVICTIONS ON ONLY TWO CATEGORIES OF CASES QUASHED LAST YEAR: AG

CONVICTIONS WERE QUASHED AS A RESULT OF LEGAL ERRORS IN TWO CATEGORIES OF CASES LAST YEAR, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON JEREMY MATHEWS, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THESE WERE AMONG THE 2,211 CRIMINAL TRIALS IN THE HIGH COURT AND DISTRICT COURT, AND 445,623 SUMMONSES ISSUED AND 129,363 CASES LISTED IN THE MAGISTRACY, MR MATHEWS SAID, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON MOSES CHENG.

MR MATHEWS SAID AMONG THE TWO CATEGORIES OF CASES, ONE CONVICTION FOR A FORGERY OFFENCE WAS QUASHED BECAUSE THE CHARGE HAD BEEN BROUGHT UNDER A LEGISLATIVE PROVISION THAT HAD BEEN REPEALED REPLACED.

AND

/"I WOULD