*********************************************************

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Home Affairs Mr David Lan, in moving the committee stage amendments to the Family Status Discrimination (Amendment) Bill 2000 in the Legislative Council today (June 14):

Madam Chairman,

I move that clauses 2A, 2B, 4 and 5 as set out under my name in the paper circularized to Members be read the second time.

As I have explained in moving the amendment to clause 2, we propose to add new clauses 2A and 2B, which in conjunction with the amendment to clause 2 will limit the amendments of the Bill to sections 8, 9 and 16 in lieu of exceptions covering Parts III, IV and V of the Ordinance. While clause 2 as amended will address the issues in relation to employees, new clauses 2A and 2B will address those of contract workers and commission agents respectively. Again, this will not detract from the original aim of clarifying what is not unlawful under the Ordinance, but will address the concerns that the scope of the proposed exceptions might be too wide and the wording of the proposed new section 39A in the original clause 2 of the Bill might cause confusion in relation to benefits for employees, contract workers and commission agents themselves.

New clauses 4 and 5 aim to save existing rights and obligations under agreements or settlement agreements entered into before the enactment of the Bill. This is to address the concern of some Members that the retrospective effect of the Bill might result in the reduction or alteration of existing benefits for immediate family members of employees, contract workers or commission agents.

Madam Chairman, with these remarks, I commend these clauses to Members.

End/Wednesday, June 14, 2000

NNNN