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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN :--Before taking the first item on to-day's agenda, I would like to welcome Dr. TENG back to the Council and to express to Dr. COOMBES, who acted while Dr. TENG was away, our appreciation of his services on the Council,
I am privileged to refer now to an honour very recently bestowed upon one of our Members. The Council will, I am sure, wish me to extend, on its behalf, sincere and warm congratulations to Mr. INGLIS on the award to him, in the Birthday Honours, of the C.M.G. by Her Majesty the Queen. Turning to Mr. INGLIS, the Chairman said:— Sir, we share your pride and pleasure in your well-merited distinction. (Applause).
MR. BERNACCHI: Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Elected Members, I would like to associate myself with your words and to express our warmest congratulations to Mr. INGLIS on the honour bestowed on him.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, Mr. BERNACCHI could very well have included the Appointed Members in supporting your remarks on the signal honour that has been bestowed upon our colleague. We join with you in congratulating him. We have every confidence that it has been more than well-earned for his services in the Urban Council if for nothing else.
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen.
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1st May, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPER.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following paper:-
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of May 1962.
QUESTIONS.
MR. LI YIU-BOR asked the following question:
Will the Chairman please advise what is being done, or will be done, to control effectively the sale of obscene books and magazines in wall-stalls or other stalls which are licensed, or will be licensed, by this Council?
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As the banning of pornographic literature and films is a matter in which all parents take a genuine interest, is the Chairman in a position to make a statement on the subject?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
In reply to the first part of the question, the control of the sale of obscene books and magazines under the Indecent Exhibitions Ordinance is a matter for the Commissioner of Police, who is continually taking action when contraventions of the Ordinance occur. A proposal to include among the licensing conditions of wall-stalls and newspaper hawkers, provision for the cancellation of the licence on conviction for an offence under this Ordinance is under consideration; but I am advised legally that it would not be feasible to attempt to impose censorship through the licensing system.
In reply to the second part of the question concerning the banning of pornographic literature and films, as I said at the Annual Debate last month, I understand that the matter is under review at the moment.
MR. LI YIU-BOR asked the following question:
Will the Chairman, in the public interest, inform this Council whether the Dustboat Station on Gloucester Road will be re-sited? If so, will he indicate when it can be re-sited?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
It is not proposed to re-site the Dustboat Station; instead the department hopes to be in a position to close the Station down eventually. Whether this will be possible depends upon Government's decision on a scheme for the incineration of Island refuse which is now under consideration.
Should the decision be in favour of incineration, I imagine that from the time it is made at least three years will elapse before the Dustboat Station can be closed.
MOTIONS.
THE CHAIRMAN moved the following motion:-
THAT the Offensive Trades (Amendment) By-laws, 1962, be made under section 49 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.
He said: I rise to move the Motion standing in my name as item 4(1) on the order paper. Normally, this motion would have been moved by the Chairman of the Offensive Trades and Slaughterhouses Select Committee, but Mr. MARDEN is on leave at present.
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