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Following is a speech by the Acting Secretary for Economic Services, Ms Maria Kwan, in moving a motion on the Electricity Supply Lines (Protection) Regulation in the Legislative Council today (April 12):

President,

I move that the Electricity Supply Lines (Protection) Regulation (the Regulation), made under section 59 of the Electricity Ordinance (Cap 406) by the Chief Executive in Council on December 14, 1999, be approved subject to the amendments set out in the proposed Resolution circulated to Members.

Section 59(1) of the Electricity Ordinance provides that the Chief Executive in Council may make regulations for measures designed to ensure that activities performed in the vicinity of electricity supply lines owned by electricity suppliers are performed in a manner that minimizes causing an electrical accident or interruption to the supply of electricity. It also provides that such regulations shall be subject to the approval of the Legislative Council.

The Electricity Supply Lines (Protection) Regulation aims to ensure that activities performed in the vicinity of electricity supply lines are performed without causing electrical accidents or interruption to the electricity supply. Briefly, it requires that works shall not be carried out in the vicinity of an electricity supply line unless, before the works are begun, all reasonable steps have been taken to ascertain the existence, alignment and other relevant particulars of any such line. It also requires that works shall not be carried out in the vicinity of an electricity supply line without all reasonable measures having been taken to prevent the occurrence of an electrical accident or interruption to the electricity supply. One of the steps to be taken is for a competent person to be engaged to locate and establish the alignment of any electricity lines on the site. The main provisions of the Regulation are set out in the relevant Legislative Council Briefs of January 15, 1999 and December 23, 1999.

The Regulation made by the Chief Executive in Council has been scrutinised by a Legislative Council Subcommittee. As a result, Government agreed to propose certain amendments to the Regulation. These concern matters relating to the suspension of approval of a competent person and remedial notices.

Section 6(1) of the Regulation, which relates to suspension of approval of a competent person, is proposed to be amended in two respects. The purpose is to avoid prejudicing any subsequent proceedings to overturn a suspension and to present more clearly the grounds on which a suspension may be made.

Section 11 of the Regulation relates to the serving and content of remedial notices in respect of contraventions. Subsections (7) & (8) are proposed to be amended such that references to "instructions" or "instruction", as they may appear in a remedial notice, are replaced by references to "direction". These are drafting changes made for consistency with the wording of other sections.

In the interests of public safety and of ensuring the continuity of electricity supply, I urge Members to support and approve the Electricity Supply Lines (Protection) Regulation subject to the proposed amendments to it.

Thank you.

End/Wednesday, April 12, 2000

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