Age limit for one-way permit children to be lifted
In response to press enquiries, a government spokesman confirmed today (Saturday) that the age restriction for mainland children coming to Hong Kong under the one-way permit system will be lifted from July 1 but the daily quota of one-way permits will remain at 150 as at present.
The daily quota for one-way permits for Chinese nationals to come and settle in Hong Kong was increased from 105 to 150 from July last year.
Of the 45 additional places, 30 are given to mainland children who will have right of abode in Hong Kong after 1997, and the rest to persons separated from their spouses for 10 years or more.
It was agreed with the Chinese side last year that for the first year of increase, the additional quota for eligible children would only benefit those outside the school- age range, that was those who were newly-born to five years old and those between 16 and 20 years old.
The spokesman recalled that the arrangement was introduced to match the entry of school-aged children with the decline in Hong Kong's secondary school population, due to begin in 1996-97.
The age restriction in the first year would ensure that school-aged children would only come at a time when there were vacancies in secondary schools, and would thus reduce the impact on education services, he added.
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Closer relations with Guangdong rescue centre to be fostered
To foster a closer working relation, the Marine Department will soon embark a programme to exchange search and rescue (SAR) controllers with the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Guangdong, the Director of Marine, Mr Ian Dale, said today (Saturday).
Speaking at a certificate presentation for the fourth Maritime Search and Rescue Mission Co-ordinator Course this morning, Mr Dale said during his recent visit to Beijing, an agreement was reached to exchange SAR controllers between the Guangdong and Hong Kong MRCCs.
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