TNAG-1606-FCO40-22121-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 95

Supplementary to Question No. 5

in LegCo Meeting on 25.3.87

Mr. CHUNG

Sir, since the control of toxic substances at

present falls under a number of Ordinances, would the Secretary

inform this Council whether the Government would consider

having a co-ordinating body or department to deal with all

areas relating to toxic substances?

Secretary for Trade and Industry: Sir, it just happens that

as Secretary for Social Services in the distant past, I

appointed a working party to look into the problem of toxic

substances. This was in 1979. The working party eventually

reported to my colleague, the Secretary for Health and Welfare,

in 1983 on the matter. The working group looked into this

question and classified the following groups of toxic

substances,

household

namely: pesticides, pharmaceuticals,

chemicals, industrial chemicals, food additives, radioactive

materials, and carcinogens. Having regard to this great

diversity of subjects involved, I fear it will not be

appropriate for the Government to consider having

having an overall

body in charge of the problem. However, I would not like

Mr. CHUNG to think that we are totally negative in this regard

because the Administration is initiating a review of the

various existing measures covering consumer product safety and

whether, and if So, what additional measures including the

possibility of

of legislation should be

raised by Mr. CHUNG will

certainly

introduced. The point

be considered in this

somewhat narrower context if

it was

decided that legislation

was desirable.