OFFICIAL REPORT of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 6Th January 1971 the Council Met at Half Past Two O'clock [MR PRESIDENT in the Chair]
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 6th January 1971. 297 OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 6th January 1971 The Council met at half past Two o'clock [MR PRESIDENT in the Chair] PRESENT HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR (PRESIDENT) SIR DAVID CLIVE CROSBIE TRENCH, GCMG, MC THE HONOURABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SIR HUGH SELBY NORMAN-WALKER, KCMG, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL (Acting) MR GRAHAM RUPERT SNEATH, QC, JP THE HONOURABLE THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS MR DAVID RONALD HOLMES, CMG, CBE, MC, ED, JP THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SIR JOHN JAMES COWPERTHWAITE, KBE, CMG, JP THE HONOURABLE ROBERT MARSHALL HETHERINGTON, DFC, JP COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR THE HONOURABLE DAVID RICHARD WATSON ALEXANDER, MBE, JP DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES THE HONOURABLE JAMES JEAVONS ROBSON, JP DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS THE HONOURABLE DONALD COLLIN CUMYN LUDDINGTON, JP DISTRICT COMMISSIONER, NEW TERRITORIES THE HONOURABLE JOHN CANNING, JP DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION DR THE HONOURABLE GERALD HUGH CHOA, JP DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSUI KA-CHEUNG, OBE, JP COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT THE HONOURABLE JACK CATER, MBE, JP DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY THE HONOURABLE KAN YUET-KEUNG, CBE, JP THE HONOURABLE WOO PAK-CHUEN, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE SZETO WAI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE WILFRED WONG SIEN-BING, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE HERBERT JOHN CHARLES BROWNE, JP DR THE HONOURABLE CHUNG SZE-YUEN, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE LEE QUO-WEI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE OSWALD VICTOR CHEUNG, QC, JP THE HONOURABLE GERALD MORDAUNT BROOME SALMON, JP THE HONOURABLE ANN TSE-KAI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE LO KWEE-SEONG, JP ABSENT THE HONOURABLE ELLEN LI SHU-PUI, OBE, JP THE HONOURABLE WILSON WANG TZE-SAM, OBE, JP IN ATTENDANCE THE CLERK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MR RODERICK JOHN FRAMPTON 298 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 6th January 1971. Papers The following papers were laid pursuant to Standing Order No 14(2):― Subject LN No Subsidiary Legislation:― District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) Ordinance. District Court Civil Procedure (General) (Amendment) (No 2) Rules 1970....................................................................................................... 182 District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) Ordinance. District Court Civil Procedure (Forms) (Amendment) (No 2) Rules 1970....................................................................................................... 183 District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) Ordinance. District Court Civil Procedure (Fees) (Amendment) (No 2) Rules 1970.. 184 District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) Ordinance. District Court Civil Procedure (Costs) (Amendment) Rules 1970 ............ 185 Public Order Ordinance. Military Installations Closed Areas (Amendment) Order 1970................. 186 Marriage Reform Ordinance 1970. Marriage Reform Ordinance 1970 (Appointed Day) Notice..................... 187 Hawker Control Force Ordinance. Hawker Control Force (Discipline) Regulations 1970 ............................... 188 Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Ordinance 1970. Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force Regulations 1970......................... 189 Royal Hong Kong Regiment Ordinance 1970. Royal Hong Kong Regiment Regulations 1970 ......................................... 190 Widows and Orphans Pension Ordinance. Widows and Orphans Pension (Application) (Amendment) Regulations 1970 .......................................................................................................................... 191 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 6th January 1971. 299 Subject LN No Census Ordinance. Census (No 4) Order 1970 ............................................................................ 192 Fugitive Offenders Act 1967. Fugitive Offenders (Designated Commonwealth Countries) (Amendment) (No 2) Order 1970....................................................... 193 Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance. Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment of First Schedule) Order 1970....................................................................................................... 194 Trustee Ordinance. Notification of Alteration of First Schedule................................................. 195 District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) (Amendment) Ordinance 1970. District Court (Civil Jurisdiction and Procedure) (Amendment) Ordinance 1970 (Commencement) Notice 1970 .............................. 196 Merchant Shipping (Hong Kong―Macau Ferry Terminals) Regulations 1970. Merchant Shipping (Hong Kong―Macau Ferry Terminals) Regulations 1970 (Commencement) Notice 1970 ................................................. 197 Merchant Shipping (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1970. Merchant Shipping (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 1970 (Commencement of Part X of the First Schedule) Notice 1970....... 198 Merchant Shipping (Hong Kong―Macau Ferry Terminals) Regulations 1970. Merchant Shipping (Hong Kong―Macau Ferry Terminals) Regulations 1970 (Hong Kong―Macau Ferry Terminal Boundaries) Notice 1970....................................................................................................... 199 Sessional Papers 1970-71:― No 32―Annual Report by the Director of Fire Services for the year 1969-70 (published on 6.1.71). No 33―Annual Report by the Commissioner of Police for the year 1969-70 (published on 6.1.71). No 34―Annual Report by the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation for the year 1969-70 (pub lished on 6.1.71). 300 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 6th January 1971. Papers Subject No 35―Report of the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong from July 1968 to June 1970 (published on 6.1.71). No 36―Annual Report and Accounts of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council for the year 1969-70 (published on 6.1.71). Oral answers to questions Immigration Department 1. MR T. K. ANN asked:― Is Government aware of the need to provide more accommodation and staff for the Chinese section of the Immigration Department? If so, what steps are being taken to cope with this need? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER):―Yes, Sir. Government is aware of the need to provide more accommodation and staff for the Chinese section of the Immigration Department. The Director of Immigration has asked for certain additional staff, and proposals will be put to the Finance Committee of this Council for consideration later this afternoon. The Commissioner for Rating and Valuation has been asked to look for suitable sites for additional Immigration sub-offices in Mong Kok and Kwun Tong, and the approval of the Finance Committee for these additional sub-offices will be sought when sites are found. "Hermitage" flats 2. MR Y. K . K AN asked:― Will the Government table the full report of the investigation into the complaints by a resident of the "Hermitage" flats? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER): ― No Sir. The Government has already published a statement concerning the inquiry into the three complaints which were drawn specifically to the Government's attention by Dr LAM. The most important fact is that HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 6th January 1971. 301 having fully investigated Dr LAM's complaints, the Government is satisfied that there are no grounds for either disciplinary or criminal action against any of the individual officers concerned, and that the offence given to Dr LAM on the two identifiable occasions in March and April last year was caused quite unwittingly. In these circumstances, I do not consider that it would be either in the public interest or fair to any individual officer to publish more details of this inquiry which the Government now regards as closed as, so I believe, does the complainant. MR KAN:―Sir, in view of the wide publicity given to this matter―regrettably, I might say―would it not be in the interest of Government and, indeed, to all parties concerned, if the report were to be made public? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER):―That is not the view that the Government takes. It is not Government's normal practice to publish details of investigations which might lead, or might have led, to disciplinary action in any case. In the present case, however, the publicity―which I share the view of my honourable Friend in deploring―accorded to the original complaint and its unusual nature did seem to justify an exception being made to the normal rule. Thus, as the original complaint was published, so was the Government's reply. MR KAN:―Sir, would Government be prepared to make available the full report to Members of this Council? THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER):―The full text of the published statement can be provided on request to any Member of the Legislative Council who so desires. MR KAN:―I regret to say I was referring to the detailed report―the full report―Sir, not to the statement which all of us have read from the newspapers. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER):―I am sorry, Sir, but the full report is a very considerable file. It concerns an investigation which took many months to do. I cannot see that any advantage would be served by further publicizing or continuing this matter. Towing away of cars by Police 3. MR KAN asked:― Will the Government inform this Council what is the policy of the Police in regard to the towing away of cars? 302 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 6th January 1971. Oral Answers THE COLONIAL SECRETARY (SIR HUGH NORMAN-WALKER):―Sir, briefly, vehicles are towed away by the Police force under two sets of circumstances. First, and I imagine this is not