HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
arrived and are being prepared for the road. It is expected that it will be possible to stop using the To Kwa Wan site in September.
(13) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:-
Mr. Chairman, I call your attention to a letter in the press the other day as to the state of the scavenging lane between No. 61 and 63 Carpenter Road. The allegation is that squatter huts were converted into unlicensed barber shops, then these unlicensed barber shops were themselves driven away by other people who had built a tin roof to cover nearly the whole width of the lane and gambling such as fan-tan, pai-kau takes place inside. Can this state of affairs be looked into, and if it is found correct, could enquiry be made as to possible negligence, or worse, on the part of some of the persons whose duty it is to scavenge the lane and persons whose duty is to remove illegal structures?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
The locality was inspected by a Resettlement Officer of the Clearance Division on the day following the appearance of the letter in the press, namely the 16th July. 61 and 63 Carpenter Road are not separated by a scavenging lane; they share a common party wall. However, in a scavenging lane between 59 and 61 Carpenter Road two partly constructed open-sided canopies were found under which 2 hairdressers were plying their trade; another similar canopy was found at the other end of the same lane which had been erected quite recently by a person who was said to be mentally unbalanced. The 3 unlawful canopies were demolished the same afternoon and a quantity of materials confiscated.
In addition to the above there are two old tolerated (but un-lawful) structures in the scavenging lane, as well as an old wall stall used by a hairdresser. These tolerated structures are quite small and each appears to house 1 family; there was no evidence that either of these structures were intended for, or had been used, for gambling.
MR. BERNACCHI :- May I ask the Commissioner a question, through you Mr. Chairman. He says that there was no evidence that either of these structures, the tolerated structures, were used for gambling. Is there evidence that any of the 3 other structures were so used?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT :- None whatsoever, Mr. Chairman.
MR. BERNACCHI :- And, therefore, there is no evidence that the mentally unbalanced person occupying the third unlawful structure was being used by persons who were responsible for any kind of gambling.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT :- That is correct, Sir, so far as my information goes. These 3 structures were open-sided structures and I doubt whether open-sided structures would really prove a suitable cover for gambling.
(14) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:-
(a) Can the Chairman confirm that all documents and materials of this Council and of the Urban Services Department written in English have a Chinese translation attached? (b) What steps have been or will be taken to assure the people of Hong Kong that the language barrier or difficulty will gradually be removed so far as this Council is concerned?
(c) Can the Chairman confirm that this Council will receive and deal with any correspondence in Chinese on the equal footing as in English? In such case, is the reply from the Council also written in Chinese?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
In reply to the first part of the question, correspondence relating to Council and departmental matters is normally conducted in English. Replies to Chinese letters received in the department are mostly written in English with a Chinese translation attached, except where this is impracticable, e.g., in the case of correspondence dealing with licences and permits which embody various conditions for which it is difficult to provide Chinese translations to meet each and every individual case. The department is undertaking the translation into Chinese of the regulations pertaining to licences and permits which have hitherto been issued in English, for the benefit of non-English speaking licence and permit holders.
In regard to the second part of the question, an Ad Hoc Committee has been set up by the Standing Committee
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