XN000022-1996-06-27 — Page 29

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CS: Mr President, could I make clear that the question of "If there is a Provisional Legislature", is not a question that I have, as it were, raised on my own. It was a question that was put to me in my numerous contacts with people in the United States and I was attempting to answer that question.

Miss Emily Lau (in Chinese): Mr President, recently, Mr Lu Ping, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, has given two interviews to US TV channels and it gives people the impression that Hong Kong people are very much concerned about Hong Kong's future. I would like to ask the CS, during your two-week visit in the US did you see that within the American Administration or within the American Community there are a lot of people who are worried about Hong Kong's future, especially with regard to corruption, freedom and the rule of law and so on and so forth?

CS: Mr President, I did indeed encounter the concerns that the Honourable Emily Lau raised just now. I think the chief concern centres broadly round China's commitment to implementing the high degree of autonomy and Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong after 1997. And specifically, the concerns revolve around continuity in our Legislature, China's commitment protecting human rights, press freedom, etc.

End

Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in moving the motion on the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance in Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Mr President,

I move the first motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. This motion proposes increases in the fees specified in the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance for the registration of births and deaths and related matters.

A recent review of fees and charges conducted by the Immigration Department indicates that there are three areas in the services delivered by the Department for which there is under-recovery of cost. These are: registration of persons services, where the average shortfall is about 12%; registration of births, deaths and marriages, where the average shortfall is about 19%; and issue of travel documents, where the average shortfall is about 43%.