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THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"This question refers to boarding houses and hotels and may be answered as follows:-
The provisions relating to the control of hotels and boarding houses are set out in Sections 90, 91 and 92 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960, which replace the Boarding Houses Ordinance, No. 23 of 1917. These provisions will permit the Urban Council to make regulations covering, inter alia, all the points raised in the first and second parts of your question and therefore render the last part unnecessary.”
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- When will the By-laws concerning boarding houses and hotels be coming out?
CHAIRMAN:- It may be quite some time, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. They have not yet been started in draft.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- I do not want to think too far ahead, Mr. Chairman, but I notice that in Section 90(d) of the Ordinance, power is given to the Authority regarding the separation of the sexes. Do I assume, Mr. Chairman, that when the By-laws are enacted the department will exercise reasonable control as regards the separation of the sexes in hotels and boarding houses?
CHAIRMAN: We are mainly concerned with the health aspects, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, I was taking the Ordinance too literally. (Laughter).
MR. WATSON:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary question - are we to take it from this question that Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN has not read Sections 90, 91 and 92 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960?
CHAIRMAN: -I do not think so.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Mr. Chairman, I have been reading them for the past 15 minutes. (Laughter).
DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
"(a) In view of the urgent need to find a suitable place in the New Territories to resettle the offensive trades in the Urban Areas, can the Chairman state what steps have been taken to approach the Government on the relevant Select Committee's special recommendation in this matter?
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(b) As the 34 offensive trades listed in your declaration last month will not be permitted to operate in the Urban Areas, does not the Chairman agree that this is a matter of some urgency that such an area should be developed as soon as possible because of the livelihood of the people involved?
(c) Can the Chairman give this Council any assurance as to when such a step is likely to take place?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"These questions concern offensive trades:
(a) Following the Select Committee's recommendation that offensive trades should be found a site in the New Territories, the Department addressed the Public Works Department and the New Territories Administration on the matter. At the Annual Debate this year, Members were informed that certain sites had been proposed, but that it would still be sometime before suitable arrangements could be made for the trades. I regret that it has not yet been possible to reach a decision in this connexion.
(b) The policy of Council is to move offensive trades out of the urban area, but there is at present no requirement in law that they should cease to operate because they are there. And Council's intention is surely that, as soon as a suitable alternative site is found for these offensive trades, they should be required to move to it within a specified period. To that extent, therefore the problem is perhaps not as urgent as you imply, but I agree that it is important that a suitable alternative site should be found as soon as possible to which the offensive trades can move.
(c) I am unfortunately unable to give you at this stage any assurance as to when such a move will be possible, but I can assure you that this question of finding an alternative site will be pursued with the utmost vigour."
DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
"(a) How frequently are the secondary streets in Kowloon washed each month?
(b) Has this Council sufficient vehicles to carry out a programme of washing the Colony's streets once every two weeks? If not, when is it likely that this target can be achieved?
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