XN000022-1994-10-26 — Page 84

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1994

68

RESIDENTS IMPRISONED IN PHILIPPINES

FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON EMILY LAU WAI-HING A WRITTEN REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

QUESTION REGARDING THE IMPRISONMENT OF A LOCAL TOURIST

AND

IN

GUIDE AND

WILL THE

ANOTHER HONG KONG RESIDENT IN THE PHILIPPINES, GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL OF THE PROGRESS OF THEIR APPEALS; AND WHAT MEASURES HAS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TAKEN DURING THIS PERIOD TO FACILITATE THEIR EARLY RELEASE?

REPLY:

MR PRESIDENT,

SINCE THE TWO HONG KONG RESIDENTS WERE CONVICTED AND SENTENCED ΤΟ

LIFE IMPRISONMENT ON 29 NOVEMBER 1991, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PRESSING THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT AND THE COURT IN MANILA FOR AN EARLY HEARING AND DECISION ON THEIR APPEAL.

WE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED BY THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN MANILA THAT, IN RESPONSE TO THEIR ENQUIRIES, THE PHILIPPINE SOLICITOR GENERAL CONFIRMED THAT THE APPEAL, WHICH WAS FILED ON 13 DECEMBER 1993, WAS CURRENTLY WITH THE SUPREME COURT. THE APPELLANTS' ATTORNEY INTENDED то FILE THEIR BRIEF TO THE SUPREME COURT BEFORE THE END OF OCTOBER 1994. HOWEVER, NO DATE FOR THE HEARING HAS YET BEEN SET.

THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN MANILA WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS THE PHILIPPINE AUTHORITIES FOR AN EARLY HEARING OF THE APPEAL, AND ΤΟ MONITOR PROGRESS.

OVERCHARGING BY TAXI DRIVERS

FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN AND WRITTEN REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY}:

A

IN THE

QUESTION: WITH REGARD TO THE SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT'S REPLY TO THE QUESTION ON OVERCHARGING BY TAXI-DRIVERS ON 20 OCTOBER LAST YEAR, WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL OF THE FOLLOWING :

(A) THE REASON

(B)

FOR THE DECREASING TREND IN THE RATIO BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTIONS AGAINST TAXI- DRIVERS FOR OVERCHARGING AND THE NUMBER OF ACTIONABLE COMPLAINT CASES OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND;

WHETHER, SINCE THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION REQUIRING THE COMPULSORY DISPLAY OF IDENTITY PLATES BY TAXI DRIVERS, THERE HAS BEEN ANY IMPROVEMENT IN THE PROSECUTION OF OFFENDING TAXI-DRIVERS, SUCH AS IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE TAXI-DRIVERS CONCERNED; HOW THE SITUATION HAS IMPROVED?

[F

So,

/REPLY