XN000022-1995-07-28 — Page 66

19.

There are, however, two main differences between the Committee stage amendments to the two Bills. First, there is no Committee stage amendment to this Bill in respect of the seizure and detention of specified property imported into or exported from Hong Kong, because this Bill does not provide for such powers. Secondly, there is a Committee stage amendment to delete clause 4 of this Bill. The original Clause 4 proposes to extend the production order to cover materials that are likely to come into possession of the person subject to the order. However, some Members were concerned that, because the scope of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance was much wider, than that of the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance and there had not been much operational experience on the application of production orders under the former Ordinance, it was inappropriate at this stage to propose amendments to enhance the special investigative powers under the former Ordinance. We agreed with the Bills Committee to delete this clause from the present Bill and will examine the issue further in the light of operational experience.

Mr President, with these remarks, I commend the Bill to Members.

End/Friday, July 28, 1995

Bill to provide more protection to press freedom

***

Following is the speech by Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, at the resumption of second reading of the Interpretation and General Clauses (Amendment) Bill 1995 in the Legislative Council today (Friday):

Mr President,

I would like to thank the Chairman of the Bills Committee, the Honourable Andrew Wong, and Members of the Bills Committee for their thorough and efficient study of the Interpretation and General Clauses (Amendment) Bill 1995. I am pleased that they fully support the principles of the Bill. The amendments that I will move at the Committee stage also have the support of the Bills Committee.