1961-06-07 — Page 1

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 183

OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS.

Meeting of 7th June, 1961.

PRESENT:

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR (PRESIDENT),

SIR ROBERT BROWN BLACK, K.C.M.G., O.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY,

MR. EDMUND BRINSLEY TEESDALE, M.C. (Acting)

THE HONOURABLE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL,

MR. ARTHUR RIDEHALGH, Q.C.

THE HONOURABLE THE SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS,

MR. JOHN CRICHTON MCDOUALL

THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY,

MR. JOHN JAMES COWPERTHWAITE, O.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE ALLAN INGLIS

(Director of Public Works)

DR. THE HONOURABLE DAVID JAMES MASTERTON MACKENZIE, C.M.G., O.B.E. (Director of Medical and Health Services)

THE HONOURABLE KENNETH STRATHMORE KINGHORN

(Director of Urban Services)

THE HONOURABLE PETER DONOHUE

(Director of Education)

THE HONOURABLE NGAN SHING-KWAN, C.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE HUGH DAVID MACEWEN BARTON, M.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE DHUN JEHANGIR RUTTONJEE, O.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE FUNG PING-FAN, O.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE KWAN CHO-YIU, O.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE GEORGE MACDONALD GOLDSACK

THE HONOURABLE KAN YUET-KEUNG, O.B.E.

THE HONOURABLE LI FOOK-SHU

MR. ANDREW MCDONALD CHAPMAN (Deputy Clerk of Councils)

ABSENT:

HIS EXCELLENCY THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES,

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR RODERICK WILLIAM MCLEOD, K.C.B., C.B.E.

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 184

MINUTES.

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 24th May, 1961, were confirmed.

OATHS.

MR. KAN YUET-KEUNG took the Oath of Allegiance and assumed his seat as a Member of the Council.

H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —We welcome you to our Council, Mr. KAN.

MR. LI FOOK-SHU took the Oath of Allegiance and assumed his seat as a Member of the Council.

H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —We welcome you to our Council, Mr. LI.

PAPERS.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by Command of His Excellency the Governor, laid upon the table the following papers: —

Subject. G.N. No.

Workmen's Compensation Ordinance, 1953.

Workmen's Compensation (Rules of Court) (Amendment) Rules, 1961 .......................................................................................... A. 63.

Registration of Persons Ordinance, 1960.

Registration of Persons (Re-registration) (No. 5). Order, 1961 ........ A. 64.

SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED 31ST MARCH, 1961.

THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution: —

Resolved that the Supplementary Provisions for the Quarter ended 31st March, 1961, as set out in Schedule No. 4 of 1960/61, be approved.

He said: Sir, the supplementary provision in this schedule totals $27.3 millions against which savings or recoveries from other subheads total just over $6 millions.

Once again the main increase was on Public Works Non-Recurrent which required supplementary provisions exceeding $7½ millions. The main reason for this was that work on a number of schemes progressed more quickly than originally expected.

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 185

Delays in the payment of pensions at the revised rates to officers who retired after 1st July, 1959, and who therefore enjoy the benefits of the Salaries Commission's recommendations, and the introduction of a new scheme of temporary increases for other pensioners have also necessitated an increase of over $6 millions in the Pensions vote for 1960/61.

These and all the other items in the Schedule have been approved by Finance Committee and the covering approval of this Council is now sought.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

The question was put and agreed to.

CHINESE TEMPLES (AMENDMENT) BILL, 1961.

THE SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS moved the First reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend the Chinese Temples Ordinance, Chapter 153."

He said: Sir, the Objects and Reasons explain the purpose of this Bill. I should however add that both the purpose and the detailed wording of the Bill have been discussed at length and endorsed by the Chinese Temples Committee as constituted under the present law.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

The question was put and agreed to.

The Bill was read a First time.

Objects and Reasons.

The "Objects and Reasons" for the Bill were stated as follows: —

When the Chinese Temples Ordinance was originally enacted in 1928 the maximum number of members of the Chinese Temples Committee was nine. Since 1928 due to the increase in the numbers of Chinese unofficial members of Executive Council, Legislative Council and the Urban Council, the number of members of the Chinese Temples Committee has steadily increased and the Committee at present consists of seventeen members. The principal object of this Bill therefore is to reduce the number of members of the Chinese Temples Committee to eight members thus simplifying the working of the Committee.

2. Clause 3 of the Bill gives power to the Chinese Temples Committee to direct the manner in which the accounts of the General Chinese Charities Fund shall be kept and audited, subject to the approval of the Governor in Council.

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 186

NURSES REGISTRATION ORDINANCE, 1961.

DR. D. J. M. MACKENZIE moved the First reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to repeal and re-enact, subject to amendment, the Nurses Registration Ordinance, Chapter 164."

He said: Sir, the Ordinance presently in force was enacted 30 years ago and the purpose of the Bill before Council is to bring the existing legislation up to date, to add certain new provisions and to specify more precisely disciplinary powers and procedure. The Bill follows closely the pattern of the recently enacted legislation governing the registration of doctors, dentists and midwives and regulating the disciplinary procedures.

The establishment and composition of the Nursing Board is now provided for in clause 3 of the Bill whereas previously this power was in the Regulations. A new provision is for the appointment of a Legal Adviser and a Secretary.

The Register of Nurses now contains 1,898 names and the last list published ran to 256 pages. If this Bill becomes law the annual publication in the Gazette of the full list will be discontinued. Instead clause 6(2) requires the Board to publish additions, deletions and restorations to the Register at intervals of not less then twelve months.

Clause 8(2) gives wider powers to accept for examination nurses who have trained outside Hong Kong but who are not qualified for admission direct to the Register. The Board must be satisfied that the standard of training is not lower than that required in Hong Kong under the Ordinance. In case of doubt the Board may require the candidates concerned to undergo a further period of training to be specified by the Board.

Clause 19 gives power to prohibit nurses attending patients while suffering from certain infectious diseases which are likely to endanger the health of the patients. This is new, but it is in line with a similar provision in the Midwives Ordinance, 1960.

The Bill does not in any way add restrictions to the practice of nursing in Hong Kong and it deals exclusively with registered nurses, their training, examination and the control of ethical and professional standards amongst registered nurses. It has been drafted in full consultation with the Nursing Board and the provisions have the Board's unanimous approval.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

The question was put and agreed to.

The Bill was read a First time.

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 187

Objects and Reasons.

The "Objects and Reasons" for the Bill were stated as follows: —

The purpose of this Bill is to seek the repeal of the Nurses Registration Ordinance, Chapter 164, and the replacement thereof by an Ordinance incorporating more adequate provisions for the proper registration of nurses and the better control of nursing in the Colony.

2. It will be noted that the form of this Bill is closely comparable with that of the Midwives Registration Ordinance, 1960.

3. A detailed comparative table is annexed to these objects and reasons indicating those provisions which are new and those which appear in the existing Ordinance or have been drawn from the existing regulations made thereunder and are retained together with notes where appropriate on the manner in which they have been amended otherwise than as to form only.

MARINE INSURANCE BILL, 1961.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the Second reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to codify the law relating to marine insurance."

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

The question was put and agreed to.

The Bill was read a Second time.

Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 92 and the Schedule were agreed to.

Council then resumed.

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL reported that the Marine Insurance Bill, 1961, had passed through Committee without amendment and moved the Third reading.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.

The question was put and agreed to.

The Bill was read a Third time and passed into law.

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 188

ADJOURNMENT.

H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —Well, gentlemen, that concludes the business for to day. When is it your pleasure that we should meet again?

THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: —Sir, may I suggest this day two weeks? H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —Council stands adjourned until this day two weeks.