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In the fourth case concerning a teacher at a Government school which has attracted some press coverage including suggestions that the deceased had been unfairly treated at work and over promotion, the department has interviewed the principal and some of the teachers of the school. It has also carefully reviewed the records on the deceased's work and performance. The department has concluded that there is no ground to support these suggestions.

However, we have to await the Police's investigation reports before the causes of these suicides may be identified.

End/Wednesday, January 18, 1995

Levy for Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund

Following is a question by the Hon James Tien Pei-chun and a reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Michael Leung, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

A resolution was passed by this Council on 21 July 1993 to increase the rate of levy for the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund by 15 times, raising it from 0.02% to 0.3%. At the meeting of the LegCo Panel on Manpower held on 8 December 1994, officials of the Education and Manpower Branch disclosed that the Government would further raise the levy rate to 0.45%. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

(b)

(c)

whether, in considering the further increase of the levy rate to 0.45%, it has taken into account the impact of the new levy rate on the construction industry as well as sought the views of the construction

sector;

how long the levy rate at 0.45% will remain unchanged; and

whether it will consider injecting funds into the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund to stabilise the levy rate in the long term, so as to avoid hampering the development of the construction industry?

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