XN000022-1996-04-24 — Page 26

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At present, the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance only permits the adoption of the BSI safety standards for children's products. This is because when the Ordinance was enacted, the BSI standards were considered to be the most comprehensive in product range and safety aspects.

We have no objection in principle to the proposed adoption of multiple safety standards other than the BSI standards for children's products, provided that the alternative standards are equivalent in their safety requirements to the existing BSI Preliminary examination by the standards already adopted in the Ordinance. Government Chemist on a number of non-BSI safety standards applicable to children's products, including those suggested by the trade and industrial organisations, reveals that some of them are suitable for adoption as alternative standards. Clause 3 of the Bill seeks to empower the Secretary for Trade and Industry to adopt alternative safety standards other than the BSI ones for children's products. Clause 4 empowers the Secretary for Trade and Industry to amend the Schedule. This includes the addition of alternative safety standards and the updating of existing standards. In order to ensure that the level of safety requirement will not be compromised when alternative standards are adopted, the Secretary for Trade and Industry must be satisfied that any new standards intended to be adopted are equivalent to the existing BSI standards already adopted for that particular children's product in terms of safety requirements.

The proposed adoption of multiple safety standards for children's products will encourage competition in the Hong Kong market and hence increase consumers'

choice.

Mr President, I move that debate on this motion be adjourned.

End

Stamp Duty (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 1996

Following is the speech by the acting Secretary for the Treasury, Mr Alan N Lai, in moving the second reading of the Stamp Duty (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 1996 in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

time.

I move that the Stamp Duty (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 1996 be read the second