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course of my duty on the Civic Liberties Committee of the Reform Club I have often been presented with the reply from a Government Department, indeed even a long reply, in the English language when the correspondence or part of it was previously in Chinese. I consider it would be a mistake to single out a Government Department which has this habit as nearly all are inclined to it. But I submit that for better- ment of Hong Kong as a whole, this situation should be remedied as quickly as possible. Indeed, I go further than the resolution, often the man in the street goes to a letter writer to have a letter written in English to a Government Department when he himself speaks no English. Usually such letters can be easily detected and I suggest, in cases of any doubt at all as to whether or not the receipient of the correspond- ence from a Government Department understands the English written language, a Chinese translation should be appended. The Urban Services Department has for many years issued pamphlets in Chinese explaining how one can get various licences which the Urban Council issues. This has been, I have heard, of greatest assistance to members of the Public and it is now automatic when a person of Chinese race comes to apply for a licence, he is issued with this pamphlet in Chinese. I would also invite other Government Departments to adopt similar pamphlets enabling all documents issued from a Government Depart- ment to be issued bilingually. With these words, Mr. Chairman, I second the Motion.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I wish to support the motion of Mr. Henry Hu that other Government Departments follow the example of the Urban Services Department in answering all Chinese correspondence in Chinese,

In fact, this is a matter which many Urban Councillors have con- sistently fought for not only in the Urban Services Department but also in the Resettlement Department.

It is also due to the co-operation and patient efforts of the senior staff of these two departments that all Chinese correspondence addressed to the Urban Services and Resettlement Departments are now answered in Chinese.

This should be held as a model to other departments in Govern- ment. I believe that an effort is being made in some Government departments such as the Information Services Department, but it is not a uniform practice in all Government departments.

I wish to draw your attention, Mr. Chairman, to the contents of a letter dated 18th December, 1964 addressed by the Civic Association to the Colonial Secretary on this subject:

"As you are aware, approximately 90% of Hong Kong's nearly four million population do not read or write the English language.

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Since English is the only official language in Hong Kong, it has been the practice for most Government Departments to reply to letters in the English language only, irrespective of whether the original communications were written in Chinese or in English.

The Civic Association is in favour of Government formulating a plan to make both English and Chinese the two official languages of Hong Kong.

As a first step in this direction, the Civic Association suggests that you issue instructions to all Government Departments to the effect that any letter written to a Government Department in Chinese should be replied to in Chinese or in English with a Chinese translation attached thereto.

In the Urban Council, steps have already been taken to imple- ment this proposal in the Urban Services Department and the Re- settlement Department. Our Association would like to see this procedure extended to all other Government Departments.

We suggest too that Government establish at an early date a Translation Training Centre in Government Service in order that a high and uniform standard of translation-either from English to Chinese or vice versa-can be maintained."

On 30th March, 1965, the Colonial Secretary replied to the Civic Association as follows:

"Thank you for your letter of 8th December, 1964, on the subject of the use of Chinese in the conduct of Government business. As you say, it is already the practice in several depart- ments of Government, including some which have dealings with members of the public on a large scale, to reply in Chinese to letters written in Chinese. Steps are being taken to determine how wide- spread this practice is and how best to ensure that it is adopted as widely as possible in Government departments.

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Your suggestion that a Translation Training Centre should be established has been noted, and will be considered in the light of replies from departments as to the current practice."

It is my hope, Mr. Chairman, that Government will as a result of Mr. Henry Hu's motion redouble its efforts to ensure that every Govern- ment department will answer all Chinese correspondence in Chinese.

DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I wish to support wholeheartedly Mr. Hu's Reform Club Motion that all Chinese correspondence should be answered by all Government departments in Chinese. I lend my whole- hearted support to this motion.