XN000022-1997-04-04 — Page 6

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Updated legislation proposed for AMS and CAS

The Government has proposed updated legislation for the Auxiliary Medical Service (AMS) and the Civil Aid Service (CAS) to better reflect their modern functions, a Government spokesman said today (Friday).

The Auxiliary Medical Service Bill and the Civil Aid Service Bill, both gazetted today, will provide for the establishment of the AMS and the CAS to replace the Auxiliary Medical Service Unit and the Civil Aid Services Unit established in 1950 and 1952 respectively under the Essential Services Corps Ordinance.

The spokesman said that the main objective of the Ordinance, enacted in 1949, and its subsidiary legislation was to establish units of trained people capable of assisting in the Government's response to natural disasters or other emergencies.

"At its inception, the AMS was intended essentially as a stand-by medical unit for emergencies while the CAS mainly carried out civil defence duties," he said.

The spokesman pointed out that with the passage of time, the Units had expanded their activities into non-disaster related areas. They provide supplementary resources to augment the regular forces, both in times of emergency and in other situations.

The Essential Services (Auxiliary Medical Services) Corps Regulations and the Essential Services (Civil Aid Services) Corps Regulations, which neither describe the current operational functions of the Services nor provide for the training and other activities of their members and cadets, are found to be too generalised for today's requirements.

"We therefore propose to introduce separate and updated legislation for the Services," the spokesman said.

The major provisions of the two Bills will provide for:

the constitution and functions of the Services:

the calling out of the Services and the performance of voluntary duties;

disciplinary matters, including discharge of members and handling of complaints; and