Legislative Council

LC Paper No. LS 188/98-99

Date of Tabling in LegCo :	19 May 1999
Amendment to be made by :	16 June 1999 (or 23 June 1999 if extended by resolution)

Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311)
Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) (Amendment) Regulation 1999 (L.N. 121)

The Amendment Regulation amends the Air Pollution Control (Vehicle Design Standards) (Emission) Regulation (Cap. 311 sub.leg.) by :

1. imposing more stringent vehicle design standards for emission of air pollutants applicable to certain private cars, taxis, goods vehicles, light buses and buses first registered under the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374 sub. leg.) on or after 1 July 1999; and
   
   
2. introducing a set of vehicle design standards for emission of air pollutants for motor cycles and motor tricycles first registered on or after 1 October 1999.

Under section 24(1)(ca) of the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374), the Commissioner for Transport may refuse to register any motor vehicle which does not comply with these vehicle design standards. The Amendment Regulation shall come into operation on 1 July 1999 and 1 October 1999 respectively such that the new design standards are not applicable to motor vehicles first registered on or before 30 June 1999, or motor cycles and motor tricycles first registered on or before 30 September 1999. New design standards have not been imposed on the following types of motor vehicles :

1. every private car equipped with a compression-ignition engine;
   
   
2. every goods vehicle, light bus or bus equipped with a compression-ignition engine having a design weight of more than 3.5 tonnes but not more than 4 tonnes; and
   
   
3. every goods vehicle, light bus or bus equipped with a compression-ignition engine having a design weight of more than 4 tonnes.

Members may refer to the LegCo Brief issued by the Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau in May 1999 for background information. The LegCo Panel on Environmental Affairs has been briefed on the proposed amendments at its meeting on 29 March 1999.

Film Censorship (Amendment) Ordinance 1999
Film Censorship (Amendment) Ordinance 1999 (9 of 1999) (Commencement) Notice 1999 (L.N. 122)

By this Notice, the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting appoints 17 June 1999 as the day on which the Film Censorship (Amendment) Ordinance 1999 (9 of 1999).

The Ordinance simplifies existing censorship requirements for still films, empowers the Film Censorship Authority to prescribe forms, empowers the making of regulation on the time frame for delivery of services to the public and simplifies appeal procedures currently available against a decision of the Film Censorship Authority or a censor on film censorship matters under the Film Censorship Ordinance (Cap. 392).

Prepared by


Wong Sze-man, Bernice
Assistant Legal Adviser
Legislative Council Secretariat
17 May 1999

LS/S/45/98-99