TNAG-1607-FCO40-22122-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 293

Sir,

DRAFT SPEECH BY HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CBE, JP

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 7 JANURARY 1987

-

Post Office (Amendment) Bill 1986

I support the Bill with

with the proposed amendments, and

would like to make the following comments in

in regard to what is

covered in the Bill on "inertia selling".

Firstly, as stated by the Secretary

Industry when

when he

1986, the Bill is

for Trade and

introduced the Bill in LegCo on 19 November

intended to curtail "inertia

to curtail "inertia selling" and in

the case of local companies to protect Hong Kong's image as a

bona fide centre of commerce. I certainly agree to that.

At the same time, it would be interesting to know how

many complaints hav? been received from local and overseas companies against Hong Kong-based companies over the past 3 years, and what action was taken by Government in respect of such

complaints.

Secondly, I am even more interested in knowing how many complaints were received by Government from local companies against "inertia selling" initiated by overseas companies, and in what practical manner will the adoption of the Bill now being debated be able to give protection to local companies against such overseas companies.

To date, Hong Kong has no legislation similar to the

U.K. Unsolicited Goods and Services Act of 1971.

Perhaps it would be a worthwhile exercise if Government

should invite the comments of the local Chambers of Commerce

the applicability to Hong Kong of the spirit of this U.K. Act