XN000022-1994-10-12 — Page 42

20

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1994

IN

BE

MORE

CONSIDERING WHETHER OTHER BOARDS & COMMITTEES CAN

THE OPEN, IT HAS TO BE BORNE IN MIND THAT THE BUSINESS TRANSACTED BY 350 ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES VARY GREATLY

SOME IN NATURE. HANDLE CONFIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON A REGULAR BASIS

AND RENDER ADVICE ON GENERAL ISSUES

DEAL WITH ROUTINE MATTERS. IT WOULD THEREFORE NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO APPLY

MEASURES

COMMITTEES TO MAKE THESE BOARDS AND OPEN. INDEED IT WOULD NOT BE REALISTIC TO EXPECT THAT SOME OF BOARDS CAN OPERATE PUBLICLY.

WHILE OTHERS

ACROSS-THE-BOARD

ANY

MORE THESE

FOR

AND

HAVING SAID THIS, WE RECOGNIZE THE COMMUNITY'S ASPIRATION EASIER ACCESS TO INFORMATION. I INTEND TO ASK POLICY SECRETARIES HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS TO EXAMINE THE NATURE AND OPERATION OF THE TO CONSIDER ADVISORY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES UNDER THEIR PURVIEW AND WHICH BOARD OR COMMITTEE CAN BE MADE MORE OPEN. A KEY CONSIDERATION TO WHETHER THE IN THIS REGARD WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE AN ASSESSMENT AS RELEASE OF INFORMATION WOULD HAMPER THE SMOOTH OPERATION OF THE OR COMMITTEE, OR PREJUDICE THE FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS AMONG WHERE THE POLICY SECRETARY OR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT CONSIDERS THAT IS A CASE FOR A BOARD OR COMMITTEE TO BE MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC, SHE OR HE WOULD CONSULT THE BOARD OR COMMITTEE CONCERNED SEEK AGREEMENT TO PUT IN PLACE APPROPRIATE MEASURES.

BE

BOARD MEMBERS.

THERE

THE

AND

WOULD

OF RELEASES

THE OR

IN THE MEANTIME, BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, WHERE POSSIBLE, ENCOURAGED

KEEP TO

MEDIA THE PUBLIC AND THE

INFORMED

PROGRESS OF

PRESS THEIR WORK EITHER BY WAY OF REGULAR PRESS BRIEFINGS.

RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

TSO

THE FOLLOWING IS A SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT MR HAIDER BARMA, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON ALFRED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

MR PRESIDENT,

IN THE MOTION DEBATE HELD ON 9 MARCH THIS YEAR, I DID INFORM MEMBERS THAT WE HOPED TO FINALIZE THE RAILWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY WITHIN THREE MONTHS. THIS FORECAST HAS PROVEN TO BE OVER OPTIMISTIC. MORE TIME HAS BEEN REQUIRED FOR ADDITIONAL STUDIES, FOR EXAMPLE ON HOW BEST TO MEET THE TRAVEL NEEDS OF EASTERN NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY ARISING FROM THE FINDINGS OF THE TASK FORCE ON LAND SUPPLY AND PROPERTY PRICES. INSOFAR AS THE NORTH WEST NEW TERRITORIES RAILWAY IS CONCERNED, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE WESTERN CORRIDOR RAILWAY, THIS REMAINS A HIGH PRIORITY UNDER OUR PROPOSED RAILWAY STRATEGY. I REMAIN CONFIDENT THAT DESPITE THE DELAY IN ANNOUNCING THE STRATEGY, IT CAN BE COMPLETED AND OPERATIONAL BY 2001.

/THE STRATEGY