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The ordinance establishes an independent regulatory authority, the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data to enforce and promote compliance with its provisions.
Reiterating the Government's commitment to press freedom which was vital to a free society, Mr Suen said the commitment was backed up by a solid programme of legislative reform to ensure that existing laws met the requirements for protecting freedom of expression laid down in the Bill of Rights (BOR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as applied to Hong Kong.
"Substantial progress has been made on our reform programme. Since 1992, the Government has examined 53 separate provisions in 27 ordinances.
"Of these, 31 provisions have been amended or repealed, and 12 have been left unaltered as they are compatible with the BOR and serve to protect individuals' right to privacy, the public interest or the right to a fair trial.
"Altogether we have dealt with 43 provisions, representing more than 80 per cent of the laws.
"In addition, we have recently put proposals to the Chinese side of the Joint Liaison Group on the remaining security-related laws covered by our review, including the Official Secrets Act as well as provisions on sedition and treason in the Crimes and Post Office Ordinances," said Mr Suen.
On the commitment to the principle of an open and accountable Government, Mr Suen said a Code on Access to Information to enhance the Government's transparency had been tested and its effectiveness demonstrated by a six-month pilot scheme from March to August this year.
"Up to the end of September, a total of 285 requests for information had been received. Only eight of these were refused. Most of the requests were dealt with in less than 21 days.
"A total of 36 departments and branches are now subject to the Code. By the end of 1995, the Code will be applied to about 55 departments and branches. We are well within our target of extending the Code to the entire Administration by the end of 1996," he said.
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