XN000022-1996-02-07 — Page 42

Reply:

(a)

(b)

(c)

Mr President,

24

whether there are any regulations prohibiting members of the public from using such elevators; if so, what the details are, and how the defendant mentioned above was able to use the elevator in question;

what follow-up action will be taken by the Government to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents; and

if the answer to (a) is in the negative, whether it will consider formulating regulations to prohibit the public from using such elevators; and if so, when will such regulations be implemented?

The elevators reserved for the use by Judges and Judiciary staff are located within the restricted areas of the Wan Chai Law Court Building. Only authorised persons are allowed access to the restricted areas through electronically-controlled doors. These are administrative arrangements made by the Judiciary. No regulations apply, nor are any considered necessary.

In the case referred to by the Honourable Member, the Judiciary was not able to ascertain exactly how the defendant entered the restricted areas.

In the light of the reported incident, the Judiciary has stepped up security measures in the Wan Chai Law Court Building to ensure that only authorised persons are allowed access to the restricted areas.

End

More resources to improve ambulance services

The Government will seek additional resources to improve the performance of ambulance services so that the 10-minute travel time target can be met on a regular basis.

In a written reply to a question by the Hon Elizabeth Wong at the Legislative Council today (Wednesday), the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, pointed out that the delivery of ambulance services had been reviewed by a consultancy study in 1995.