The executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday, held that the regulation the central government issued in 1982 on housing and sending back vagrants and beggars in urban areas is no longer suitable for the current situation.

Officials attending the meeting said that great changes had taken place in economic and social fields and the situation with regard to the flow of migrant population had also changed significantly during the past two decades.

The draft regulation was designed to resolve the problem of vagrants and beggars in urban areas and improve social relief mechanisms and related regulations, the meeting concluded.

It was decided that the existing regulation should be done away with and a new regulation adopted, to be made public for implementation after further revision.

Also adopted at the meeting was a decision to take additional effective measures to reduce coal mine accidents, including increased funding to improve workplace safety for coal miners.

Meanwhile, the government officials attending the meeting adopted a draft law on public facilities for cultural activities and physical exercises, which is expected to be issued after additional revision.

(Xinhua News Agency June 18, 2003)