The Adaptation of Laws (No.8) Bill 1999 which is aimed at adapting 10 existing ordinances relating to the environment and their subsidiary legislation was gazetted today (Friday).
The Bill is one of a series of bills to effect necessary amendments to legislation so that terminologies which are inconsistent with the Basic Law or with the status of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China can be changed accordingly.
"Most of the proposed amendments are merely terminological in nature. References such as 'the Governor', 'the Colony' and 'the Crown' will be amended as appropriate," a government spokesman said today.
The 10 Ordinances covered by the Adaptation of Laws (No.8) Bill 1999 are Forests and Countryside Ordinance (Cap.96), Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170), Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208), Oil Pollution (Land Use and Requisition)Ordinance (Cap. 247), Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance (Cap. 403), Environment and Conservation Fund Ordinance (Cap. 450), Sewage Services Ordinance (Cap. 463), Dumping at Sea Ordinance (Cap. 466), Marine Parks Ordinance (Cap. 476) and Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap 499).
"The adaptation amendments when passed into law shall take effect retrospectively, as from the date of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," the spokesman said.
The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on March 31, 1999.
End/Friday, March 12, 1999
NNNN