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Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Amendment) Bill 1996

Following is the speech by the acting Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Leo Kwan, in moving the second reading of the Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Amendment) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I move that the Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Amendment) Bilt 1996 be read the second time.

The safety of merchant ships is regulated by international conventions made under the auspices of the International Maritime Organisation, the IMO. The provisions of IMO conventions are accepted world-wide as the international standards to which the shipping industry must conform. Hong Kong is obliged to implement the standards provided under IMO conventions which have been extended to Hong Kong. Safety standards are at present given effect by regulations made under the Merchant Shipping (Safety) Ordinance. Most of the matters regulated are highly technical in nature and are subject to frequent amendments. Our present procedures by which legislative backing is given to these amendments adds to the workload of the Executive Council as well as the Law Drafting Division of the Attorney General's Chambers. It is nonetheless, vital for Hong Kong to implement our international obligations in a timely manner; failure to do so would adversely reflect on the credibility of Hong Kong within the international shipping community.

In order to alleviate the workload of the Executive Council so that it can focus on major policy issues, and to provide a more expeditious means for giving effect to the provisions of international conventions, the Bill provides: first, for the transfer of most of the regulation-making powers from the Governor in Council to the Secretary for Economic Services; and, secondly, that the provisions of international conventions applicable to Hong Kong may be given effect by simply setting them out in regulations or schedules, together with any necessary modifications and adaptations as may be required for the circumstances of Hong Kong.

We also need to amend the Merchant Shipping Ordinance to make it clear that fees in respect of survey services provided under the Merchant Shipping (Safety) Ordinance are prescribed in regulations made under the former.

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