HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT : I have every reason to believe that two water tanks will be erected on the hill by Thursday evening.
(See also page 167)
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:
Mr. Chairman, in view of the statement you made at previous Council meetings regarding the sea water around Lai Chi Kok beach which was considered unsuitable for swimming, will you please advise how many cases of disease, or none at all, have been reported as a result of those who had taken a swim in this area?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
I am not aware of any case of disease which has conclusively proved to be due to swimming at Lai Chi Kok. Even in cases of infectious disease, which are closely followed up, it is rarely possible to state definitely exactly where the disease was contracted, as it is not practicable to elucidate the details of previous movements of all persons admitted into infectious disease hospitals or treated in Government clinics.
The epidemiological unit in the Health Department would be failing in its duty if it waited until a particular source had been proved to be the cause of disease before adopting preventive measures. Action must be taken in the light of modern scientific knowledge, and we know that the water at Lai Chi Kok Beach is below the standard of purity and considered unsafe for bathing. On these grounds, the public have been advised that to swim at this beach is to take the risk of contracting disease.
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:
(a) Arising from the criticism published in the Press recently on beach conditions, will the Chairman state whether it is the Council's responsibility or the Police's to prohibit excessive noise on the public bathing beaches from transistors, gramophones, and other musical instruments?
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(b) What measures will be taken to check this nuisance if it falls within the purview of this Council?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The Bathing Beach By-laws 1960 were made by the Urban Council, and this Council is therefore directly responsible for the management of all public bathing beaches in the urban area. However, under Bathing Beach By-law 12, as now worded, singing and music are permitted on beaches provided that no annoyance is caused to any other beach user.
The answer to the second part of the question is that I shall be asking the Urban Amenities Select Committee to consider the extent to which singing and music may be causing annoyance to other beach users and to decide whether or not any action should be taken on the matter.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, with regard to the last paragraph, isn't that too much of an order for the Amenities Select Committee... a tall order, I should say?
MR. SALES: Has Mr. CHEONG-LEEN made up his mind as to what he intends to say, Mr. Chairman? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: I think Mr. CHEONG-LEEN means whether the Committee will be able to solve this knotty problem.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I suggest that in the future, interpreters be provided when supplementary questions have to be framed? (Laughter). I would be delighted, Mr. Chairman, if Mr. CHEONG-LEEN could attend our meeting when we consider this question of noise on beaches. No doubt his expert knowledge on the subject would be most useful to the Select Committee concerned.
(The following remarks were made in connection with Question No. 10.)
MR. BERNACCHI: On a point of order in regard to the Commissioner for Resettlement's reply to Mr. WATSON's supplementary to Question No. 10, the policy of this Council, I submit, is at present to prevent recent illegal squatting, but that policy has been under review first of all by a sub-committee appointed from the Resettlement Committee of this Council, and ultimately by the Working Party on Resettlement and Housing, and so I do not think Mr. WATSON's question or the Commissioner for Resettlement's answer were completely fair in their phrasing.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
to
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT : I have every reason to believe that two water tanks will be erected on the hill by Thursday evening.
(See also page 167)
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:
Mr. Chairman, in view of the statement you made at previous Council meetings regarding the sea water around Lai Chi Kok beach which was considered unsuitable for swimming, will you please advise how many cases of disease, or none at all, have been reported as a result of those who had taken a swim in this area?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
I am not aware of any case of disease which has conclusively proved to be due to swimming at Lai Chi Kok. Even in cases of infectious disease, which are closely followed up, it is rarely possible to state definitely exactly where the disease was contracted, as it is not practicable to elucidate the details of previous movements of all persons admitted into infectious disease hospitals or treated in Government clinics.
The epidemiological unit in the Health Department would be failing in its duty if it waited until a particular source had been proved to be the cause of disease before adopting preventive measures. Action must be taken in the light of modern scientific knowledge, and we know that the water at Lai Chi Kok Beach is below the standard of purity and considered unsafe for bathing. On these grounds, the public have been advised that to swim at this beach is to take the risk of contracting disease.
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:
(a) Arising from the criticism published in the Press recently on beach conditions, will the Chairman state whether it is the Council's responsibility or the Police's to prohibit excessive noise on the public bathing beaches from transistors, gramophones, and other musical instruments?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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(b) What measures will be taken to check this nuisance if it falls within the purview of this Council?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The Bathing Beach By-laws 1960 were made by the Urban Council, and this Council is therefore directly responsible for the management of all public bathing beaches in the urban area. However, under Bathing Beach By-law 12, as now worded, singing and music are permitted on beaches provided that no annoyance is caused to any other beach user.
The answer to the second part of the question is that I shall be asking the Urban Amenities Select Committee to consider the extent to which singing and music may be causing annoyance to other beach users and to decide whether or not any action should be taken on the matter.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, with regard to the last paragraph, isn't that too much of an order for the Amenities Select Committee... a tall order, I should say?
MR. SALES: Has Mr. CHEONG-LEEN made up his mind as to what he intends to say, Mr. Chairman? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: I think Mr. CHEONG-LEEN means whether the Committee will be able to solve this knotty problem.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I suggest that in the future, interpreters be provided when supplementary questions have to be framed? (Laughter). I would be delighted, Mr. Chairman, if Mr. CHEONG-LEEN could attend our meeting when we consider this question of noise on beaches. No doubt his expert knowledge on the subject would be most useful to the Select Committee concerned.
(The following remarks were made in connection with Question No. 10.)
MR. BERNACCHI: On a point of order in regard to the Commissioner for Resettlement's reply to Mr. WATSON's supplementary to Question No. 10, the policy of this Council, I submit, is at present to prevent recent illegal squatting, but that policy has been under review first of all by a sub-committee appointed from the Resettlement Committee of this Council, and ultimately by the Working Party on Resettlement and Housing, and so I do not think Mr. WATSON's question or the Commissioner for Resettlement's answer were completely fair in their phrasing.
Page 92 of 194