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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(c) In view of the need of secondary streets for more frequent washing, will the Chairman pay particular attention to those of Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei?”
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"This question concerns street washing in Kowloon. Most secondary streets in Kowloon are washed once weekly, but those in certain residential areas where the need is obviously less, are washed at less frequent intervals. The fleet of 16 street-washing vehicles, 8 in Hong Kong and 8 in Kowloon, is at present just sufficient for the purpose, and it is necessary to increase their number regularly in order to try and keep pace. These vehicles each manned by a Driver, Ganger and 5 Sanitary Coolies operate on a 24-hour basis, in three shifts of 8 hours each. I can assure you that particular attention is paid to washing secondary streets in Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei and other areas where congested conditions, hawkers and markets make the service particularly important. Some very bad areas, especially in the vicinity of markets, are washed almost daily in periods of serious water restriction or after a particularly heavy day's business. The water used for this purpose comes from designated wells where the yield is sufficient and the degree of salinity is below the level likely to cause erosion of the vehicle."
DR. P. F. Woo asked the following question :-
"The Urban Council has already conducted two Miss Ping On Competitions at the Resettlement Estates. Would the Commissioner for Resettlement give an estimation of the effects of such Competitions and indicate whether there is any improvement in the health and sanitary conditions in the Estates or whether such competitions should be intensified in the future?"
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows: -
"There is no doubt that there has been an improvement over the last two years in the general standard of maintenance of estate rooms and that the Miss Ping On competitions have made the tenants conscious of the need for hygiene and cleanliness in the home. These competitions have, of course, been supplemented by the day-to-day efforts of the estate staff to educate settlers in this respect and by the full coverage of estates throughout the year by the 'Keep Your City Clean' campaign run by the Urban Services Department.
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It would be difficult to answer the question whether or not the Miss Ping On competitions should be intensified without giving an expression of opinion and suggest that this matter should be considered by the Select Committee concerned."
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:-
"Mr. Chairman, I inspected the Wong Tai Sin Estate recently and I found that one portion of the foundation at the right hand side of the southern section of Block R had collapsed causing huge cracks on the cement floors from No. 1 to No. 18. This shows that the foundation is not secured and this might lead to further serious damage if measures were not to be taken in time. Is the Chairman aware of this circumstance and take action against those who are responsible for the construction work of Block R, in Wong Tai Sin Estate?"
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
"The damage referred to at Block R of Wong Tai Sin Estate was caused by the heavy rain in June this year which washed away the filling under the concrete apron round the block and the adjoining earth slope. This caused a subsidence of the slope and the apron, resulting in cracks in the paving of the apron itself and along the sides and bottom of the surface water channels in this section. The damage did not extend to the block itself; there were no cracks in the floors of the block and its piled foundations were not affected.
Repairs are at present being carried out and should be completed in about a month's time."
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:-
"In view of the dirty conditions upon the stairs and corridors of many tenement houses on both sides of the harbour, I would like to know, Mr. Chairman, whether or not that measures have been taken to obtain the co-operation of the tenants and landlords concerned in order to keep their stairs and corridors clean?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"This concerns dirty conditions on the stairs and in the corridors of tenement houses.
It is normal practice for the staff of the department to seek the co-operation of tenants and landlords in order to
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