HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before proceeding with the business of this meeting, I would like to say how glad I am to see our good friend and colleague, the Senior Unofficial Member, Mr. Brook BERNACCHI, back with us today. I know that all Members join with me in extending a warm welcome to Mr. BERNACCHI and expressing the hope that he will soon be fully recovered and in his best fighting trim.
I would also like to welcome back our Lady Member, Dr. Alison BELL, as well as Mr. F. S. Li and Mr. K. S. Lo who are attending their first meeting after returning from abroad.
There is one other matter. Mr. B. D. WILSON, the Assistant Director (Amenities & General), who has served in the Urban Services Department for four years, will be leaving next week on transfer to the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs. Mr. Hector Ross, the former Deputy Secretary of this Council, left the department recently after two years' service and went on vacation leave. Both these officers have been closely connected with this Council and their work has at all times been distinguished by steady promotion of its interests. I am sure that Members will wish me to express their sincere thanks to Mr. WILSON and to Mr. Ross for their services.
Mr. J. M. ROWLANDS will be taking the place of Mr. WILSON and Mr. P. F. LEEDS, who is with us today, has taken the place of Mr. Ross. I should like to welcome them both. (Applause).
MR. A. de O. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, may I, on behalf of the Appointed Members and no doubt the Elected Members who are not either Mr. BERNACCHI or Dr. BELL, be completely identified with your remarks concerning our two colleagues. We are most happy to see Brook back with us, and also Dr. BELL, although we cannot understand why Dr. BELL should have increased the possibilities of this Council having more male members. (Laughter) We join with you in the good wishes which you offer to the members of the Urban Services Department who are leaving us.
DR. BELL:- I was just going to say, Mr. Chairman, that I have already told Mr. SALES that it was pre-natal influence. (Laughter).
MR. BERNACCHI:- Mr. Chairman, Members all, I simply want to say how good it is to be back with this Council today. Words for once fail me to express how joyful I feel on this occasion, and so I will simply say: "Thank you very much, all of you, for this wonderful welcome that you have given me." Before I sit down, I would like to join with you in saying what excellent services Mr. WILSON and Mr. Ross have rendered to this Council. We will miss them, although I expect that their successors will in time be just as good, but it is nevertheless, a great loss to lose both of these officers at once. The work of this Council is now so large that it takes a very considerable time to acquaint oneself with it and I think that the successors of Mr. WILSON and Mr. Ross will have quite a task before them in this respect, but I trust and I expect that they will be well prepared and capable of doing so. (Applause).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 2nd October, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:-
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of October 1962.
(2) Urban Council and Urban Services Department Statistical Report for the period 1st July, 1962, to 30th September, 1962.
(3) Report by the Commissioner for Resettlement on the progress of clearance and resettlement operations during the period 1st July, 1962, to 30th September, 1962.
QUESTIONS.
MR. FUNG HON-CHU asked the following question :-
Is the Chairman aware that a number of food factories, whilst carrying on their business as outside caterers, also serve meals on their premises to members of the public? If so, will he please inform this Council of the steps the Department proposes to take to protect the public from the health hazards arising from this practice?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
The reply is that the Hygiene Division is aware of the existence of this practice. Four cases are known to exist out of the 57 licensed catering establishments, 21 in Hong Kong and 36 in Kowloon.
All four have been licensed as restaurants since they started to serve meals on the premises. There is usually very little difficulty in complying with the necessary conditions for the additional restaurant licence.
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