In Brief

Health chief to attend Sars meeting in Singapore

Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Yeoh Eng-kiong will travel to Singapore tomorrow for a three-day visit to discuss measures to control Sars and other communicable diseases. Dr Yeoh will meet Acting Minister for Health Shaw Boon Wan, Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasvia and will visit Singapore's dedicated Sars hospital, Tan Tock Seng, during his stay.

Wan Chai memorial for madame Chiang tomorrow

A memorial service for former Chinese first lady Soong Mei-ling, organised by the Hong Kong and Kowloon Trades Union Council, will be held at the Chinese Methodist Church in Wan Chai tomorrow. Council chairman Lee Kwok-keung said it would also raise funds for the publication of about 5,000 booklets featuring photos of Soong and details of her life. Soong, known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek, died aged 106 in New York on October 23.

Henry Tang invited to talk about cuts in education

The Hong Kong Federation of Students has invited Financial Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen to attend a meeting in the coming week. Alvin Cheng Cheuk-him, federation vice-chairman, said students would urge Mr Tang not to cut expenses on tertiary education and funding for associate degree programmes. Mr Tang has said that from 2004/05, government expenses would be cut by 11 per cent over five years.

Civil service chief to discuss pay policy

Eight consultative councils and staff unions will meet Secretary for the Civil Service Joseph Wong Wing-ping today to discuss the civil service pay adjustment system. Felix Cheung Kwok-biu, chairman of the Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union, said he would ask the government to form a civil service pay policy and clarify the pay adjustment scheme.