1992-01-03 14:25 INFORMATION SERVICES DEPT
852 521 7725 P.06/11
SATELLITE TV
The Housing Department was studying a Star TV proposal to install satellite TV receivers at five public housing estates, the media reported in good coverage. The department was curious to see how many tenants would find the station's programmes interesting. If the plan was approved, Star TV would arrange the equipment to be put up in the next couple of months. It was noted that only interested residents would have to pay a monthly subscription fee. Some reports said that the Housing Department did not have to bear the cost of setting up the equipment and the residents were free to participate.
VMs
R-3 reported this morning that the Government had confirmed a report that a Vietnamese family had been forcibly separated to facilitate the deportation of ethnic Chinese Vietnamese. The most recent case last month was that a man was sent back to China leaving behind in HK his wife and a six-month-old child. The Refugee Co-ordinator, Clinton Leeks, said that the case was not unique and thefg had been other cases before. The HK Government had no alternative. Vietnam had refused to accept the return of ethnic Chinese Vietnamese and China refused to accept the Vietnamese families of boat people married in HK. He added that it was a sad case with HK could do little or nothing about.
PLANNING
Director of Planning Peter Pun told the Oriental Daily News that the Government must start studying the use of the piece of land to be vacated by Kai Tak Airpoort in SE Kowloon next year, in order that redevelopment could commence as soon as the new airport became operational.
FROM THE MAGAZINES
The latest issue of the "Fai Shing" magazine (Issue 255) carried an artilce by On Ting-wing on the retirement of the CS, Sir David Ford, in the near future. Government Secretariat sources expected that the Governor, Sir David Wilson, was likely to discuss with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Office the timetable for replacing the Chief Secretary during his trip to London later this month. The writer noted that it was in line with the Government's localisation programme for Sir David Ford to retire at 57.
it
It was expected that the Secretary for the Civil Service, Barrie Wiggham, was likely to be the next CS. As the former Secretary for General Duties, Mr Wiggham had a good understanding of the development of the Sino-British talks on the future of HK, which would put him in a favourable position in dealing with the Chinese side. Since Chinese officials generally did not have strong feelings about Mr Wiggham, was expected that his appointment as the next CS would not be objected to by China. Postings for Mr Wiggham in the last few years had shown that he was the only candidate for the CS post. Apart from putting him on the JLG to provide him with an apportunity to have direct contact with Chinese officials, he was appointed as an Exco member. Mr Wiggham had been with the civil service in HK for over 30 years and was good at both Putonghua and Cantonese, the writer added.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.