XN000022-1996-11-01 — Page 6

- 4

Question: It came from Simon Li that there would be cap on growth in spending for social welfare expenditure for infrastructural spending and that there will be a 4.75 per cent target for GDP growth next year. Would you like to comment...?

FS: I don't want to comment on speculative comments of the others. The Chinese side have commented fully on that. Some of the figures which you mentioned are quite unfamiliar to me. Thank you very much.

End

Regulation to protect gas pipes

The Gas Safety (Gas Supply) (Amendment) Regulation 1996, gazetted by the Government today (Friday), controls in the interests of safety, construction works in the vicinity of gas pipes.

The amendment Regulation requires that construction works should not be carried out near a gas pipe unless its position has been checked and steps taken to ensure that it will not be damaged by the works.

The new regulation provides that a person not taking all reasonable measures to protect a gas pipe from damage arising out of his construction works that is likely to prejudice safety commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $200,000 and to imprisonment for 12 months.

The regulation reflects the Government's concern at the frequent damage to gas pipes through careless excavation work. There were 93 such incidents in 1995 and 71 in the first 10 months of 1996. While the consequences of most of these incidents are relatively minor, damage to a gas pipe may lead to a major fire or explosion. The regulation aims to minimise the potential for such hazards.

The Government intends to bring the regulation into effect in December 1996. A code of practice on avoiding damage to gas pipes will be issued at the same time by the Gas Authority (the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services) to assist the gas supply companies and the construction industry to comply with the new requirements.

The Regulation will be tabled in the Legislative Council on November 6, 1996.

End