XN000022-1994-02-23 — Page 28

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1994

18

EFFORTS TO ENSURE VENDING MACHINES ACCEPT $10 COIN

WITH

THE HONG KONG MONETARY AUTHORITY IS WORKING CLOSELY OPERATORS AND SUPPLIERS OF VENDING MACHINES TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW $10 COIN WILL BE ACCEPTED BY VENDING MACHINES FROM ITS INTRODUCTION.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES, MR TAM WING-PONG, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON TAM YIU- CHUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

HE EXPLAINED THAT AS WITH ANY MACHINES WOULD NEED TO BE ADAPTED TO REGARDLESS OF ITS METAL CONTENT.

NEW COIN, EXISTING VENDING

ACCEPT THE NEW $10 COIN,

THERE IS NO IRON CONTENT IN THE NEW $10 COIN, HE SAID.

REGARDING THE WEIGHT OF THE NEW COIN, MR TAM SAID IT WEIGHED 11 GRAMMES, LIGHTER THAN THE EXISTING $5 COIN WHICH WEIGHED 13.5 GRAMMES.

"THE INCONVENIENCE THAT MIGHT BE CAUSED TO THE PUBLIC IN CARRYING THE $10 COIN SHOULD, THEREFORE, BE MINIMAL.

*FURTHERMORE, THE CIRCULATION OF $20 NOTES WILL BE INCREASED SO

OF THE MEMBERS

PUBLIC WILL HAVE A CHOICE

THE OF

CONVENIENCE OF CARRYING BANK NOTES IN A HIGHER DENOMINATION INSTEAD OF COINS IF SO WISH, HE ADDED.

זז

THEY

0

NO PLANS TO CONDUCT SURVEY ON PORNOGRAPHIC SOFTWARE

* * *

*

THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS TO CONDUCT ANY SURVEY то GAUGE PUBLIC OPINIONS ON PORNOGRAPHIC COMPUTER SOFTWARE OR ANY OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES, THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO, SAID.

THESE ARE SUBJECT TO REGULATION UNDER THE CONTROL OF OBSCENE AND INDECENT ARTICLES ORDINANCE (COLAO), AND THE INITIATIVE FOR SUCH AN EXERCISE SHOULD COME FROM THE OBSCENE ARTICLES TRIBUNAL, HE ADDED.

HOWEVER, MR SO STRESSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO TAKE STRONG ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

IN THE PAST NINE MONTHS, THE POLICE AND TELEVISION AND OF ENTERTAINMENT LICENSING AUTHORITY (TELA) HAVE SEIZED 2,500 PIECES PORNOGRAPHIC COMPUTER SOFTWARE, RESULTING IN FOUR PERSONS HAVING CHARGED. THESE CASES ARE NOW PENDING HEARING BY THE COURT.

MR SO ALSO TOLD MEMBERS IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION THE HON ERIC L1 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT GOVERNMENT HAD CONDUCTED A FILM STANDARDS SURVEY LAST YEAR.

BEEN

BY

THE

/THE AIM