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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(b) Will your Department conduct a survey to ensure that all plots of land near to schools and capable of being developed as playgrounds, however small, are put to such use?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"(a) No. The location of public parks and playgrounds is not a matter for consultation between the Chairman, Urban Council, and the Director of Education.
(b) No. It is not the function of my Department to conduct any such surveys: it is the function of the Director of Public Works who constantly keeps all matters of land use under review. The Director of Education does, however, in certain cases, allocate small sites held on permit for use as temporary playgrounds to single schools or to groups of schools.”
MR. SALES-Thank you very much for the answers to my question. Am I to understand from them that the various Government departments do not co-operate in the public interest?
CHAIRMAN:-All Government departments co-operate in the public interest.
MR. SALES: In that event why is it not possible for consultations to be held on the matter of recreational facilities for the public and for schools as well?
CHAIRMAN :-In the first instance there is no need for consultation. The Public Works Department is fully aware of our requirements.
MR. SALES-But we are-
CHAIRMAN:-I am afraid this is a town planning matter which we cannot discuss.
MR. SALES: —It is not my intention to discuss it. It is my intention to ask supplementary questions.
DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question :-
"Has the Chairman's attention been drawn to the filthy and unhygienic condition resulting from the accumulation of refuse at the rear yards of houses and buildings or at the top of those illegal structures erected in these yards. Would the Chairman
(i) call for a report from the visiting staff;
and
(ii) introduce measures to eradicate this extremely
unhealthy condition?"
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
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"This question is on the same lines as that asked in the Council in July this year by Mr. Chan Shu Woon. On that occasion I replied:
"Yes, I am aware of this distressing practice. I might add that refuse discarded through the windows of upper floors does not fall only in scavenging lanes and behind hoardings. It also falls largely in public streets. As you are no doubt aware, this Council provides a cleansing service which daily sweeps up the refuse from streets and scavenging lanes. You may also be aware that the activities of quarterly house inspection by the Inspectorate include routine cleansing of refuse from behind all shades, blinds, advertisements, hoardings, etc."
There would be little point in calling for a report by the "visiting staff" since action is taken on the routine inspection. The position can only be rectified, and what Dr. Woo rightly describes as an "extremely unhealthy condition" removed, if householders will show elementary courtesy to their neighbours by putting their rubbish in the rubbish bin instead of throwing it out of the windows. Miss Ping On has been putting over this message for some time, but if householders are so lazy and inconsiderate as to continue the practice there is little we can do save clean up the mess once a quarter. I do not see that the taxpayer should be called upon to pay for the very large increase of staff which would be required if this were to be done more frequently. The remedy lies in the development of civic conscience."
MR. Y. K. KAN asked the following question:-
"I am informed that under the Development Plans for Aberdeen there will be four playgrounds or recreation areas provided and that lay-out plans for three have already been approved by the Parks, Playgrounds and Urban Amenities Select Committee for sometime. Will the Chairman indicate when these plans will be implemented?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"The Urban Amenities Select Committee have already approved plans for development of 3 playgrounds at Tin Wan, Aberdeen and Staunton Creek. No plan has yet been prepared for the fourth site to which there is no..."
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