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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) Secretariat will put in place a new arrangement tomorrow (June 17) to strengthen the security measures in the LegCo Building to ensure the personal safety of users, including Members, staff and other visitors during meetings of the Council and its committees.
At the meeting of The Legislative Council Commission on June 11 2009, members supported the strengthening of the security measures in the LegCo Building to prevent the reoccurrence of the incident happened last Wednesday (June 10) involving a member of the public using a cutter to hurt himself, said Ms Pauline Ng, Secretary General of the LegCo Secretariat.
With effect from tomorrow, a security checkpoint will be set up at Public Entrance II (the entrance facing the Statute Square near Chater Road) of the LegCo Building. All members of the public who wish to observe meetings in the Building are required to store all items of baggage in the lockers and walk through a door-frame metal detector unit for security checking before they proceed to the public galleries.
Ms Ng said, ¡§This arrangement is a trial scheme to enhance security measures and will be reviewed at the end of July 2009.¡¨ She would also seek views from the users on the arrangement before deciding on its long-term implementation.
If in case the alarm of the door-frame metal detector is activated when a member of the public walks through the detector, further check using a hand-held metal detector will be done. Moreover, members of the public are reminded to pick up their baggage stored in the lockers when leaving the Building.
Some restricted items, including firearms, guns and weapons; pointed ledged weapons and sharp objects; explosive and flammable substances; chemical and toxic substances; and other substances and items that will cause injury and nuisance to other people are not permitted in the Building. Also, food or water will not be allowed to be brought into the Building.
Ms Ng said, ¡§As going through the security check may take some time, members of the public who wish to observe meetings in the Building are requested to arrive early.¡¨
¡§To facilitate reporters working in the Building, the new security check arrangement will not be applied to reporters who have a press card,¡¨ Ms Ng said, adding that for those who apply for a temporary pass, they need to produce their company cards or name cards for confirmation of identity before they can be admitted to the Public Information Division to collect the temporary pass.
Ends/Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Issued at HKT 20:21
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