TNAG-1730-FCO40-2443-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 52

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SECRETARY

FOR

SECURITY

the layout of the

: Sir, I very much doubt whether

airport will allow that sort of

procedure to be followed. It is as I have said an open

front plan; stage V extension of the airport which is due

to be completed by the end of the year is designed to

provide even more immigration counters spread out

laterally and the space vertically which would not permit

the two long lines that Mrs. CHOW has suggested. The

number of arrival counters will in fact be increased from

52 to 90 and the number of departure counters from 46 to

*

76.

I would suggest that we see how this system works and

then consider whether further review is necessary.

MR. SOHMEN

Sir, I believe the basic problem is not

really the segregation of residents from non-residents but

Could the Secretary

for

the overall waiting time.

Security advise us what

us what he expects the reduction in the

processing time will be when computerisation is complete?

SECRETARY FOR SECURITY : There are two points here, Sir.

The computerisation is designed primarily to allow Hong

Kong residents with Hong Kong identity cards, while they

are at the counters, to get through quickly by using their

cards; in that case the actual waiting time at the counter

36 will be reduced to something like seconds.

the time referred to by

to by Mr. SOHMEN was more

time the passengers have to get through.

But I think

the overall