**************************************************
Following is the translation of the speech by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in moving the second reading debate of the Freight Containers (Safety) (Amendment) Bill 2006 at the Legislative Council meeting today (April 26):
Madam President,
I move that the Freight Containers (Safety) (Amendment) Bill 2006 be read a second time.
The Freight Containers (Safety) Ordinance and its four pieces of subsidiary legislation were enacted respectively in May 1997 and May 2001 for the purpose of implementing the International Convention for Safe Containers, 1972 in Hong Kong. The said Convention was adopted by the International Maritime Organisation to standardise the requirements for testing, inspection and approval of containers, and to prescribe procedures for their maintenance, examination and control so as to ensure safety in their handling, stacking and transportation. Since the enactment of the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation, there have been changes to local trade practices. The amendment Bill aims to address a few outstanding issues so as to bring the Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation into operation.
The Bill covers four broad categories of amendments. First of all, the Bill expands the application of the Ordinance to cover the approval of containers and approval of examination procedures of containers, irrespective of their origin of manufacture. Under the existing Ordinance, the approval granted by Marine Department covers only those containers manufactured in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has no such industry nowadays, whereas Mainland China is now a major container manufacturing base. There is thus a practical need to expand the coverage of approval to containers manufactured outside Hong Kong so as to fulfill our international obligation under the Convention.
Secondly, the Bill assigns the functions of container approval to authorised persons, so that Marine Department would focus on its regulatory and law enforcement functions.
Thirdly, the Bill spells out the conditions under which the container owner, bailee or lessee would have to remove the safety approval plate from the container. The approval of a container is evidenced by a safety approval plate affixed to it. A container owner, bailee or lessee would have to remove the safety approval plate from the container if it has been modified in a manner which would render the original approval void, or if it is removed from service without proper maintenance, or in case where the approval ceases to be valid.
Fourthly, the Bill empowers the Director of Marine to specify by notice published in the gazette the information and documents to be submitted along with an application for approval of examination procedures for containers.
Madam President, the Bill has the support of the local maritime industry. I hope for the early passage of the Bill by this Council. Thank you.
Ends/Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:35
NNNN
