HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I wish to leave at 6 o'clock, so I will not ask any more supplementaries.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:—
Since the duties and tasks of Resettlement Department officers are often onerous, and it is important that the Department's staff maintain at all times good relations with the Press, consistent with public interest—and which by and large have been satisfactory—will the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise:
(a) Whether any standing instruction has previously been issued for the guidance of Resettlement Department officers, and if so, when, and
(b) If no standing instruction has yet been issued, whether the Commissioner can issue such instruction after consultation with the Director of Government Information Services?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
There is no specific departmental instruction but the importance of courtesy and good relations with all members of the public, be they Press or otherwise, is enjoined on the staff. I am the first to welcome any suggestions whereby misunderstandings can be avoided and I shall be happy to refer your inquiry to the Director of Information Services for his advice.
MR. BERNACCHI :-One supplementary. Would the Commissioner state whether questions from members of the Press who contact him personally will be answered, or will they be requested to ask the question from the Director of Information Services?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I am afraid I am not in a position to answer that question. I have already informed Mr. CHEONG-LEEN in reply to his Question that the comments of the Director of Information Services will be sought.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, before I ask one supplementary, I would like to make one observation. Generally speaking, relations between the Resettlement Department and the public have been very, very good—in fact better than some other departments I have in mind. I would like to seek clarification, Sir, when reference was made in the reply to the importance of good relations being enjoined on the staff. Could the Commissioner elaborate, Mr. Chairman, when is the importance of such courtesy and good relations enjoined on the staff?
When a man joins the Department?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Right from the start, Mr. Chairman, when the Area Staff attend a short period of training.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Are there any refresher courses from time to time, Sir? (Laughter).
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -Not as such, but this can be arranged, if necessary.
CHAIRMAN:-Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, I may be covering that point in general terms later in my speech.
MOTION.
Resumption of the following motion moved by the Chairman,
Urban Council, at the meeting held on 2nd April, 1963:- THAT this Council accept the Statement of Progress and Policy tabled today and in particular endorse the summary of the Council's main aims for 1963-64 as set out on pages 17 and 18 of the Statement.
CHAIRMAN: The debate on the Statement of Progress and Policy, which was adjourned from the April meeting, will now resume and I have pleasure in calling on the Commissioner for Resettlement to reply to the points which were raised by Members in their speeches concerning Resettlement.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, members of this Council showed particular interest in the following topics relating to Resettlement and I propose to deal with them one by one. They are:
Firstly, the pace of resettlement and future targets.
Secondly, the quality of resettlement accommodation.
Thirdly, the financing of resettlement.
Fourthly, the problem of rooftop squatters.
Fifthly, the policy of Squatter Control.
and Sixthly,
one-bay restaurants.
As regards the pace of resettlement, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN has rightly drawn attention to the fact that the target of 100,000 has not been attained in the past financial year. The net increase in the population of the Estates was in fact 85,057 persons, of whom 13,574 were
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