XN000022-1997-02-19 — Page 26

(c)

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under Colonial Regulation 93 in the interests of localization and in connection with constitutional change.

Officers who are compulsorily retired under Colonial Regulations 57, 58, 59 or the respective Disciplined Services Legislation will receive deferred pensions payable on their respective normal retirement dates. Officers who are compulsorily retired under Colonial Regulation 93 will receive their pensions immediately on leaving the service. I wish to stress that there are no adverse, disciplinary, or misconduct implications relating to retirements under Colonial Regulation 93. This regulation simply provides the formal covering authority to direct an officer to retire.

End

Efforts made to help unemployed teenagers

Following is a question by the Hon Lee Cheuk-yan and a reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

As revealed in the findings of the General Household Survey, the problem of unemployment is particularly serious among young people, with an unemployment rate as high as 12% for the 15-19 age group. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council, whether it has formulated any comprehensive plan to solve the problem of high unemployment rate among young people?

Reply:

Mr President,

Although the unemployment rate of those aged 15 to 19 is higher than the overall unemployment rate, this should not be taken to mean that the unemployment problem is particularly serious for this group. In fact, this is not the most vulnerable group of unemployed persons for the following reasons -

First, this group consists of a higher percentage share of first-time job-seekers than that for other groups. For example, for the three months of September to November 1996, such job-seekers account for 51% of this group.