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OFFICIAL REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS.
Meeting of 7th September, 1960.
PRESENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR (PRESIDENT)
SIR ROBERT BROWN BLACK, K.C.M.G., O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE THE COLONIAL SECRETARY
MR. CLAUDE BRAMALL BURGESS, C.M.G., O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
MR. ARTHUR RIDEHALGH, Q.C.
THE HONOURABLE THE SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS
MR. JOHN CRICHTON MCDOUALL.
THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY
MR. ARTHUR GRENFELL CLARKE, C.M.G.
THE HONOURABLE ROBERT MARSHALL HETHERINGTON, D.F.C. (Commissioner of Labour).
THE HONOURABLE HECTOR WILLIAM FORSYTH
(Acting Director of Public Works).
DR. THE HONOURABLE TENG PIN-HUI
(Acting Director of Medical and Health Services).
THE HONOURABLE DAVID RICHARD WATSON ALEXANDER, M.B.E. (Director of Urban Services).
THE HONOURABLE KWOK CHAN, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE DHUN JEHANGIR RUTTONJEE, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE FUNG PING-FAN, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE RICHARD CHARLES LEE, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE KWAN CHO-YIU, O.B.E.
THE HONOURABLE GEORGE MACDONALD GOLDSACK.
THE HONOURABLE DONALD BLACK.
MR. ANDREW MCDONALD CHAPMAN (Deputy Clerk of Councils).
ABSENT:
HIS EXCELLENCY THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR RODERICK WILLIAM MCLEOD, K.C.B., C.B.E. THE HONOURABLE NGAN SHING-KWAN, O.B.E.
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MINUTES.
The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 24th August, 1960, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, by Command of His Excellency the Governor, laid upon the table the following paper: —
Subject. G.N. No.
Magistrates Ordinance.
Magistrates (Administrative) (Amendment) Rules, 1960 ............... A. 91.
SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS FOR THE
QUARTER ENDED 30TH JUNE, 1960.
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution: —
Resolved that the Supplementary Provisions for the quarter ended 30th June, 1960, as set out in Schedule No. 1 of 1960/61, be approved.
He said: Sir, the first schedule of supplementary expenditure for the present financial year shows total additional provisions of $29½ millions against savings of approximately half a million. As usual in the first schedule of the year there are a number of re-votes of funds which lapsed on the 31st March.
There are two items to which I might perhaps draw attention. One is the provision for additional refuse collecting vehicles for the Urban Council. With the recent strengthening of the Treasury, we have been able to get down to some cost accounting, and investigations have shown that it is less costly for refuse collecting vehicles in Kowloon to take rubbish direct to the dump at Gin Drinker's Bay by road, rather than to put it into barges which are then towed out to the dump. Accordingly the necessary additional vehicles are being provided, and there should be savings over the next few years.
The other item is the large provision for additional water supplies. $18 millions have been provided to meet the cost of the pipeline which is to bring water from the border to the Tai Lam reservoir, and over $7 millions are provided for work on the Plover Cove and Hebe Haven schemes. The preliminary investigations made into the possibility of converting these inlets into fresh water lakes proved so satisfactory that further investigation has been authorized with a view to integrating
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these two schemes into one, and producing rather more water from the two together than can be obtained from the two separately. The consultants are now undertaking a full engineering investigation, and funds are provided for the initial works on the scheme itself, these works comprising site formation for filters and pumping station at Sha Tin, and for service reservoirs above Kowloon Tong.
All the items have already, Sir, been passed by Finance Committee. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
URBAN COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2) BILL, 1960.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the First reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend the Urban Council Ordinance, 1955."
He said: Sir, the effect of this short Bill is immediately apparent from its second clause; and the reasons for it are fully explained, subject to a typographical error in line five which will be corrected in due course, in the Objects and Reasons appended to the Bill.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Third time.
Objects and Reasons.
The "Objects and Reasons" for the Bill were stated as follows: —
The purpose of this measure is to extend by one month the period available for the compilation of the provisional register of electors, and is consequential upon the amendments proposed to the Jury Ordinance by the Jury (Amendment) Bill, 1960, whereby it is proposed for administrative convenience to enable to the electoral register and the list of common jurors to be published as a joint register of electors and common jurors.
DEFENCES (FIRING AREAS) (AMENDMENT) BILL, 1960.
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL moved the First reading of a Bill intituled “An Ordinance to amend the Defences (Firing Areas) Ordinance, Chapter 196.”
He said: Sir, at present no practice firing under the principal Ordinance is allowed during the period between half an hour before sunset and half an hour after sunrise in Firing Area E, that is on the
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Lo Wu Classification Range. The purpose of this Bill is to remove this restriction in order that night firing may be practised on this range and I should mention, Sir, that before any such practice takes place adequate notice will be given so that persons living in the area will be aware of the dates and times and will not be taken unawares.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a First time.
Objects and Reasons.
The "Objects and Reasons" for the Bill were stated as follows: — The Bill seeks to remove the restriction on night firing over Firing Area E.
DRUG ADDICTS TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION BILL, 1960.
DR. TENG PIN-HUI moved the Second reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to establish centres for the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts of drugs and of intoxicants and for purposes connected therewith."
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 21 were agreed to.
Council then resumed.
DR. TENG PIN-HUI reported that the Drug Addicts Treatment and Rehabilitation Bill, 1960, had passed through Committee without amendment and moved the Third reading.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Third time and passed into law.
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MENTAL HEALTH BILL, 1960.
DR. TENG PIN-HUI moved the Second reading of a Bill intituled "An Ordinance to amend and consolidate the law relating to mental disorder and its treatment and to make provision for the reception, detention and treatment of persons of unsound mind."
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 71 were agreed to.
Council then resumed.
DR. TENG PIN-HUI reported that the Mental Health Bill, 1960, had passed through Committee without amendment and moved the Third reading.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Third time and passed into law.
MEDICAL REGISTRATION (AMENDMENT) (NO. 2)
BILL, 1960.
DR. TENG PIN-HUI moved the Second reading of a Bill intituled “An Ordinance further to amend the Medical Registration Ordinance, 1957.”
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Second time.
Council then went into Committee to consider the Bill clause by clause. Clauses 1 and 2 were agreed to.
Council then resumed.
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DR. TENG PIN-HUI reported that the Medical Registration (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 1960, had passed through Committee without amendment and moved the Third reading.
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded.
The question was put and agreed to.
The Bill was read a Third time and passed into law.
ADJOURNMENT.
H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —That concludes the business for to-day, gentlemen. When is it your pleasure that we should meet again?
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: —May I suggest this day two weeks, Sir. H. E. THE GOVERNOR: —Council stands adjourned until this day two weeks.