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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
With these remarks it gives me much pleasure, Mr. Chairman, to support the motion.
MR. BERNACCHI:- Under Standing Order sub (10) of Standing Order 10, the Director of Public Works seems to have misapprehended a statement and, as most of my statements were, an essential statement of my speech. I wish only to say that whilst I—
CHAIRMAN:- I am afraid that I see no reason for this.
MR. BERNACCHI:- I am sorry, Sir, you have not really heard me yet. How can you possibly see no reason when I have not even addressed you, Sir?
CHAIRMAN:- Standing Order 10(10) refers to the limitation of the number of speeches.
MR. BERNACCHI:- "Any member may explain himself introduce new matter."
CHAIRMAN:- All right. You may proceed.
MR. BERNACCHI:- Thank you, Sir. I personally consider that this Council should be the Highway Authority with technical advisers. Nevertheless I accept the compromise which was made with the general approval of this Council and under which the Council would have some measure of interest in the Highway Authority. The impression I have, however, is that this compromise does not receive the support of the Director of Public Works who now seeks to rely upon it.
CHAIRMAN:- Ladies and Gentlemen, at the close of the debate on the 5th April, an interested spectator mentioned to me how impressed he was by the quality of the speeches and I wholeheartedly agree with his comments. They covered the wide field of Council activities in considerable detail, and I feel certain that future historians of Hong Kong will consider the record of the last meeting to be reference material of great value.
I cannot speak on the constitutional issues as these are a matter for Government, but I can assure you that the remarks of Dr. P. F. Woo, Mr. CHAN Shu-woon, Mr. BERNACCHI, Mr. LI Yiu-bor and Mr. CHEONG-LEEN have been forwarded to Government for consideration. At the same time, I would mention that the Commissioner of Registration is actively engaged in improving the register of voters, which has been the target for unfavourable comments in the past, and that Government has agreed to the compilation by him of the jury list, which was formerly effected by the Registrar of the Supreme Court. The question of polling stations is also under consideration.
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As regards the delay in implementing the Public Health and Urban Services Bill, which was forwarded to Government in August 1958, I should explain that this came about not simply because of the complexity of the legislation but also because of the extension of Urban Services activities to the New Territories. However, I confidently expect that it will be possible to make progress soon. At the same time, the existing Urban Council Ordinance is being amended to permit of the appointment of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services to the Council in place of the Assistant Director of Health Services and to define with greater exactitude the relationship of the Council and the Department.
Mr. MARDEN and Mr. CHEONG-LEEN re-echoed opinions expressed in March in the Legislative Council on the need for an efficiency expert to appraise the functioning of the Department and advise on economies. I am assured that this matter is at present under examination by Government. I should personally welcome an examination of this Department, and I and my staff will loyally co-operate in any such survey as Government may decide to carry out. I wish to make it clear, however, that in expressing my willingness to fall in with a proposal of this kind I do not imply any lack of confidence in the staff of the Department which in my view carries out its functions with loyalty and efficiency in quite unusual conditions.
The question of corruption was mentioned by several speakers. Here I would wish to express my entire agreement with the view that corruption, where it exists, must be rooted out. I am confident that members will agree with me that it is no contribution to the solution of this problem for people to write insinuating and completely unspecific letters to the papers under fanciful pseudonyms. If they are in possession of factual information about corruption it is their duty to report it to the proper authorities. Failing this, they are indulging only in a smear campaign which can only discourage loyal and honest staff, without doing anything to bring to book any who are corrupt. Both the Police and Heads of all Government Departments are prepared to investigate reports thoroughly. If a person suspects corruption by a member of the staff of this Department, all he has to do is to report the matter confidentially in person, by letter or by telephone to a senior officer. I wish to take this opportunity of saying that I personally have full confidence in the honesty of the great majority of the staff of this Department.
I am happy to report an encouraging development in the approval of the new proposal for streamlining licensing, which came into effect last month with the unanimous support of the Council. If Dr. P. F. Woo desires files to be re-circulated to the delegated members for notation this will, of course, be arranged, but it had been thought that members wished to keep files to the minimum. This question was
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