XN000022-1995-05-17 — Page 44

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Amendment to Clause 15 and 16 of Land Survey Bill

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Mr Chairman,

I move the clauses specified be amended as set out in the paper circulated to Members.

Clauses 15 and 16 are amended to bring the Bill into line with similar provisions under the Surveyors Registration Ordinance.

The addition of a new clause 30(7A) and consequential amendment to clause 20(1) seek to confer statutory power on the Land Survey Authority to improve the accuracy of the land boundary plans and survey record plans deposited with the Authority by an authorised land surveyor.

The Administration considers that the Authority should have the power to require an authorised land surveyor who certifies a land boundary plan or a survey record plan to amend them to comply with any approved code of practice under the Bill. This is the purpose of the new sub-clause 30(7A). Upon failure to comply with the requirement of the Authority to rectify the plan in accordance with the code of practice, the authorised land surveyor could be disciplined according to clause 20(1) of the Bill.

The Administration agrees that clause 32 should be deleted to allay the public's concern that the registration of a notice of inaccuracy may adversely affect the title of a land owner.

Proposed amendments to clause 34 are consequential amendments to the deletion of clause 32.

Proposed amendments to clauses 7, 27, 28 and 31 of the Chinese version of the Bill are aimed to clarify the meaning of the provisions as stated in the English version of the Bill.

The various fines prescribed in clause 36 are amended to refer to levels instead of amounts to accord with the prevailing practice.

Mr Chairman, I beg to move.