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(b)

(c)

There is no such agreement. It has always been our intention that approval for land resumption will rest with the Executive Council.

As mentioned in (a), an inter-departmental working group is studying the proposal to set up a URA. The subject is highly complex and it will take the working group probably another six months to examine the various issues in detail.

"Theft by finding" may be liable to imprisonment

Following are a question by the Hon Law Cheung-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council of:

(a)

the number of reported cases of loss of wallets, and the number of such cases in which the lost wallets were recovered, in each of the past three

years;

Reply:

(b)

(c)

Mr President,

(a)

the number of persons convicted of "theft by finding", as well as the average penalty imposed on these offenders, in each of the past three years; and

the measures taken by the Government to publicise the message that "theft by finding" is an offence under the law?

The Police keep statistics on cases according to the nature of offences. They do not keep separate statistics on the number of reported cases of loss of wallets, which is not an offence.