ENG-1998 — Page 349

PUBLIC ORDER

karaoke establishments and the geographical impact of juvenile delinquency. The committee also launched a publicity campaign on the prevention of juvenile crime with emphasis on the importance of parental care in shaping youth behaviour and held a Fight Crime Conference to provide a forum for its members and those of the District Fight Crime Committees to exchange views on ways to reduce crime.

During the year, the government drew up an action plan to implement the recommendations of some research the committee had commissioned on the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes for young offenders. The committee. reviewed the plan, which covered a wide range of services including educational training, vocational training, services for families of young offenders, community reintegration, through-care, probation service, Community Service Order, half-way house, a Community Support Service Scheme and a proposed short-term residential treatment programme. It supported the proposed plan and assigned its subcommittee, the Standing Committee on Young Offenders, to review the progress of the plan's implementation on a half-yearly basis.

The committee also examined legislative proposals against child pornography and child-sex tourism. The proposed legislation would make it an offence to knowingly possess, advertise or distribute pornographic articles involving children. It was also proposed to provide the current legislation against sexual abuse of children under the Crimes Ordinance with extra-territorial effect and to create an offence of organising and placing advertisements for child-sex tours. The proposed legislation would further strengthen legal protection for children against sexual abuse.

To counteract the influence of pornographic materials on the young, the committee decided that more enforcement action should be taken under the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance and that public education programmes should be launched stressing the importance of parental guidance when surfing the net. A review was also conducted on the effectiveness of the Code of Practice, devised by the Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association, for regulating the transmission of indecent materials through the Internet.

Furthermore, the committee examined a proposal to introduce licensing control of karaoke establishments. Under the proposed scheme, all establishments providing karaoke facilities open to the general public, with or without payment, should be controlled through licensing. Karaoke establishments not operating in conjunction with a restaurant license, a Certificate of Compliance under the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance or a licence under the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance would be required to obtain a specific licence. Establishments operating in premises holding restaurant licences would have to obtain written permission endorsed on the restaurant licence. It supported the plan to introduce new legislation to implement the proposed licensing scheme.

The committee continued to concentrate on the problem of juvenile crime and directed that a study should be conducted on the geographical impact of juvenile delinquency. It also considered new services for youth at risk and proposed measures to tackle juvenile delinquency.

The District Fight Crime Committees continued to play an important role in combating crime. They monitor the crime situation in districts and reflect community concerns on law and order issues. They help foster community awareness of preventing crime and encourage community participation in crime-fighting

277