HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
have added the words that Government departments should also reply to correspondence when correspondence is written in English, because I have experience with Government Departments not replying to correspondence written in English notwithstanding the assurance we were given at the Standing Committee of the Whole Council recently that Urban Councillors may expect all their letters to be answered.
CHAIRMAN:-I feel obliged to start by expressing a mild disclaimer on behalf of the Urban Services Department. In framing his motion, Mr. Hu referred to the system at present carried out by the Urban Services Department of answering all Chinese correspondence in Chinese. I must emphasize as I have pointed out in previous answers in this Council-that we have not yet achieved that state of perfection. Replies to Chinese letters received in the department are mostly written in English with a Chinese translation attached, except where this is impracticable, but every effort is being made to ensure that all Chinese letters are replied to in Chinese and I can say that in the staff estimates for 1966/67 one additional post of clerk has been asked for in order to assist in translation work. Therefore, we hope to move steadily towards the ideal position anticipated with such foresight by Mr. Hu,
I am authorized to say that the subject matter of this motion is one which has been occupying Government's attention for some months, and in April this year the various departments of Government were asked to report on their practice in this respect, and on the scope for extending the habit of answering Chinese letters in Chinese. Departmental replies show that some 22,230 letters in Chinese are received on average a month, and that slightly over half are answered in Chinese. For instance, the Resettlement Department answers 3,800 letters in Chinese in the average month, the Labour Department 1,160, the Waterworks Office 720, the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs 320, the Commissioner of Rating and Valuation 320, and the Social Welfare Department 240.
The record is not so good in some departments, sometimes because of the difficulties inherent in translating technicalities into Chinese and sometimes because of the lack of suitable staff. The situation in these departments will be examined to determine how to increase this very desirable habit of replying to Chinese letters in Chinese.
It is quite evident that this motion merits the most sympathetic consideration and the subject is indeed already receiving it from Government. Unfortunately, as an official member of the Council I am unable to overlook the fact that we are debating a subject which, strictly speaking, is outside the competence of the Council. Therefore, while I assure you that I am with you in spirit, I regret that I must abstain from voting upon the motion.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
If there are no further comments, I will now put the amendment to the motion to Council. The amendment is to add to the motion as proposed by Mr. Henry Hu the words "comma" after the word "Chinese" and add "and wherever possible, application forms used by Government Departments must be in both English and Chinese".
The question was put.
The amendment was carried.
CHAIRMAN:-I now put the motion as amended to the Council for approval. The motion reads as follows:
Resolved that for the betterment of Hong Kong as a whole and for achieving the fundamental fairness of its inhabitants, this Council urges Government to introduce the system at present carried out by the Urban Services Department of answering all Chinese correspondence in Chinese, and wherever possible, application forms used by Government Departments must be in both English and Chinese.
The question on the motion as amended by Mr. K. S. Lo and seconded by Mr. Henry Hu was put.
The motion, as amended, was carried with 18 votes for, nil against and 5 abstentions.
(2) Mr. WILFRED S. B. WONG, Acting Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee, moved the following motion:
That the Food Business (Amendment) By-laws 1965 be made under section 56 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.
He said: In moving the Motion, "That the Food Business (Amendment) By-laws 1965 be made under section 56 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.", I would like to say that the purpose of the Amendment is for this Council to approve the Amendments which have been passed by the Food and Food Premises Select Committee.
These by-laws amend paragraph 19 of the principal by-laws, which relates to the sterilization and storage of utensils used in food businesses, so as to provide that in addition to the method of cleaning previously required, namely, washing and immersion in boiling water other than the water used for washing, such utensils may be cleaned
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