144
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
called for; the first block should be completed by April next and all seven planned for this site by September next;
(ii) At the Hung Hom Estate, site formation work for the first stage is likely to be completed by April 1962 and for the whole area twelve months later. No building contracts have been let as yet and very approximate completion dates are, for the first block, June 1963, and for the whole estate some two years later. The nature of the site is such that extensive engineering works are necessary to provide suitable building sites.
(b) The western of two adjacent sites reserved at Wong Tai Sin is to be developed first. The site formation contract has now been let and work has just started; this site formation should be completed by October next year but the first block should be ready before that in August next and the twelfth and last by September 1963. At Shek Kip Mei where there will probably be seven blocks, the first should be ready by March 1963 and the last in October of that year; site formation should be under way next spring.
(c) Apart from the second (eastern) site at Wong Tai Sin, other sites have also been reserved at Cheung Sha Wan and at Ngau Tau Kok. At the former place the site is on existing reclamation; piling should start in February next and thirteen blocks (some of 12-storeys) should be completed by mid-1963. The potentialities of further sites for Low-Cost Housing in Aberdeen and in the New Territories are also being given consideration.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, the answers given are so detailed that I can only go on to ask the next Question.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
"Quite some time ago, I raised the question of having concise and simple versions in Chinese of the Hawker By-laws in order that hawkers can better understand their responsibilities to the community and thus give greater co-operation to the Urban Services Department; will the Chairman please state how soon this can be done?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"The Hawker By-laws were translated into Chinese some time ago. There are now two proposed amendments to the By-laws which may have to be included in due course, but
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
145
in the meantime the question of appropriate distribution of the translation will be referred to the Hawkers Select Committee for its advice.
I should perhaps also mention two other measures to assist hawkers. First, a tape-recording has recently been made of a dialogue in Cantonese between two hawkers, which clarifies a number of legal requirements on hawking, such as size of stall, provision of dustbin, etc. This is intended for broadcasting by the departmental health education van in market and hawker areas. Second, earlier this year the Hawker Control Force gave a series of lectures to hawkers on the new hawker legislation.
It is felt in the department that more could be done to enable hawkers and their associations to understand the reasons for hawker legislation and to suggest means of more effective co-operation with this Council and Government departments. Certain proposals in this connexion are in contemplation and will shortly be referred to the Hawkers Select Committee."
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
"Will the Chairman please state generally what types of inquiries (and how many of these inquiries) have been received for attention of the Urban Services Department from the Public Enquiry Service since the establishment of the latter body? Are these inquiries being taken care of by the Department with the minimum possible delay?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
"The Controller of the Public Enquiry Service has informed me that during the period 3rd July to 23rd September of this year, 372 inquiries were made at the Central Inquiry Desk on matters connected with the work of the Urban Services Department. About 260 of these inquiries concerned Urban Council licences, hawkers, and Housing Authority flats; the remainder covered a variety of other subjects.
Of the 372 inquiries, 357 were dealt with by Public Enquiry Service staff, who, according to the Controller, were greatly assisted by material supplied previously by the Urban Services Department, namely,
(a) 544 written questions and answers on matters commonly raised by members of the public:
(b) detailed descriptions of many departmental licensing procedures; and
Page 80 of 110
Page 80
Page 81