XN000022-1997-04-23 — Page 42

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The Yam O station will serve the port and non-port facilities at Northeast Lantau whereas the Tai Ho station will be part of Phase Four of the New Town development.

When the Lantau Line from Central to Tung Chung is commissioned in June 1998, only one station on Lantau Island will be required, namely the Tung Chung Town Centre station. The Tung Chung West, Yam O and Tai Ho stations will not be required. Nevertheless, advanced works for Yam O and Tai Ho stations including reclamation, site formation and the laying of tracks have been completed.

Further studies for the remaining phases of the New Town and Yam O will soon commence to investigate into and plan for the development of these two areas. The programme of construction of the Tung Chung West, Tai Ho and Yam O stations will tie in with the residential and working population build-up to be recommended in the studies, and subject to the agreement between Government and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation.

End

Unemployment statistics

Following is a question by the Hon Chan Wing-chan, and an oral reply by the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Regarding the unemployment rate figures and relevant statistical data released by the Government each quarter, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

(b)

of the reasons for the big discrepancies between the Government's unemployment figures and the findings of surveys conducted by a number of academic institutions and non-government organizations;

how the terms "unemployed persons among the economically active population" and the term "persons wishing to find employment among the economically inactive population" are defined, and what the differences between the two terms are;