XN000022-1994-11-23 — Page 28

11

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1994

(C)

THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION HAS ESTABLISHED A USERS' COMMITTEE. THIS COMMITTEE MONITORS AND REVIEWS THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS DEPARTMENT. NEW TARGETS ARE SET WHERE APPROPRIATE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PERFORMANCE PLEDGE FOR 1995 WILL INCLUDE, INTER ALIA, AN IMPROVED PROCESSING TIME FOR THE ISSUE OF VISAS AND VISIT PERMITS.

(D)

OUR VISA POLICY IS REVIEWED REGULARLY, HAVING REGARD TO OUR POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SECURITY FACTORS. CHANGES IN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SPECIFIC COUNTRY WILL BE MADE IF WARRANTED, WE ARE INTENDING TO REVIEW THE PRESENT REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES, SUCH AS LEBANON. BUT I MAKE NO COMMITMENT SUCH A REVIEW WILL IN FACT LEAD то AN EASING OF REQUIREMENTS.

0

WEST KOWLOON DRAINAGE SYSTEM

* * * ✶ ✶

FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON SELINA CHOW LIANG SHUK-YEE AND A REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR WORKS, MR JAMES BLAKE, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

QUESTION : RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN

SERIOUS RAINS.

FLOODING OCCURRED IN WEST KOWLOON AFTER TORRENTIAL THE DRAINAGE SERVICES DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THAT IT WILL NOT BE UNTIL DECEMBER 1995 AT THE EARLIEST BEFORE THERE IS ANY HOPE OF RESOLVING THE FLOODING PROBLEM IN THE DISTRICT. THE REASON IS THAT THE DRAINAGE CAPACITY OF THE EXISTING SYSTEM HAS BEEN REDUCED AS A RESULT OF LARGE SCALE RECLAMATION WORKS BEING CARRIED OUT IN WEST KOWLOON. AS THE GOVERNMENT HAS STARTED TO EXAMINE THIS PROBLEM IN JUNE THIS YEAR, WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL :

(A)

(B)

WHETHER THE DRAINAGE PROBLEM HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AT THE TIME OF STUDYING THE RECLAMATION WORKS IN WEST KOWLOON WHETHER THE PRESENT SITUATION IS DUE TO AN UNDERESTIMATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROBLEM; OR WHETHER THE WORKS STILL WENT AHEAD NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE RESOLVED WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME;

•

:

OF THE REASONS WHY STUDIES ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM WERE NOT UNDERTAKEN UNTIL JUNE THIS YEAR AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE RECLAMATION WORKS; AND

/(C)

WHETHER THE