TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 342

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL-3 February 1988

Seco Reading of Bills

SOCIAL WORK TRAINING FUND (AMENDMENT) BILL 1988

THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE moved the Second Reading of: 'A Bill to amend the Social Work Training Fund Ordinance'.

He said: Sir, I move that the Social Work Training Fund (Amendment) Bill 1988 be read the Second time.

This Bill makes several minor amendments to the Social Work Training Fund Ordinance, which provides for the management of this fund by a committee chaired by the Director of Social Welfare.

The most significant amendment relates to the tabling of the report and statement of account of the fund in this Council. At present the Ordinance requires this to be done by 30 September each year, which has proved to be impracticable because this date always falls within the annual recess. To avoid specific approval having to be sought on each occasion for late tabling, the Bill proposes to change the date to 31 December.

The other main change is the removal of the Director of Medical and Health Services or his nominee from the membership of the committee. Since the medical social workers are now employed in the Social Welfare Department there is no longer a need for the Medical and Health Department to be represented. As a consequence the quorum for the committee is to be reduced from four to three.

Sir, I move that the debate on this motion be now adjourned.

Motion made. That the debate on the Second Reading of the Bill be adjourned.

Question put and agreed to.

TRAMWAY (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987

Resumption of debate on Second Reading (13 January 1988)

Question proposed.

MR. CHAN KAM-CHUEN: Sir, I rise to support the Tramway (Amendment) Bill 1987.

The passing of this Bill would officially add a new dimension to tourism and will be of special interest to tourists who come from cities which had regrettably dismantled their tramway systems too soon.

Every tourist who first visited San Francisco would seldom give up the opportunity of taking a ride on their famous streetcar (the American term for a