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I could pick out another few paragraphs which are just as depressing, but I shall refrain from that.
CHAIRMAN:-On a point of explanation, may I say, Sir, that in the copy of the speech which I think was written by you on November 2nd, a copy of which was given to me, you actually quoted that very paragraph from the 1964/65 Annual Report?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I beg your pardon, Sir, I did not.
I quoted from the 1963/64 Report, because at that time the 1964/65 Report was not yet out.
CHAIRMAN:-May I read to you what you wrote, Sir?
"From the 1964/65 Fire Service Department Report, which has just been published, it is apparent that the Department is having a serious problem regarding the recruitment of training officers, where recruitment is 65% under establishment. This is an extremely serious situation, and as and when the Fire Services Department is put under the management of the Council one of the first tasks should be to review the existing expansion programme and conditions of service of personnel. Unless something is done urgently, the Fire Services Department is headed for organizational disintegration within the next few years. So I commented upon that point in my speech and said that one answer was more recruitment of overseas officers in order to avoid what you term "organizational disintegration". There is a good analogy in the Cleansing Services of the Urban Services Department. We are short of staff for cleansing, if we do not get more mechanical vehicles we too may face "organizational disintegration".
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-On a point of clarification, Sir, we are very short of personnel in our Hawker Control Force. Are you suggesting we should also recruit overseas personnel?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, that is the suggestion made for the Fire Services in the Fire Services Department's Report. You refer to the 1963/64 Annual Departmental Report and you make the suggestion that one of the troubles is comparatively low remuneration, long hours of duty and lack of personal freedom. Sir, it should be obvious, I think, to any member of this Council, that the words "lack of personal freedom" refer to the long hours of duty and have no political connotation whatsoever! (Laughter)
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I'm sorry, may I just......
CHAIRMAN: The officers concerned are in no way confined by their employment in the Fire Services Department, as you, Sir, would not come as a liberator in this respect. (Laughter)
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MR. SALES: Do I assume that Mr. CHEONG-LEEN has already exercised his right of reply so that we can put the question?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-No, Mr. Chairman, I was only trying to explain a point. Now, Sir, all I can say is touché; you have caught me in regard to the Annual Fire Services 1964/65 Report. I must have put this paragraph in just about the day that this Report came out. (Laughter)
MR. SALES: May we who have supported Mr. CHEONG-LEEN earlier, congratulate you, Mr. Chairman, on your resounding success? (Laughter)
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-But the fact remains, Mr. Chairman, that there is serious dissatisfaction among many local officers in the Fire Services Department over the question of promotion, and I think this is obvious because there is this inability on the part of the Department to recruit officers.
Now, you said a little while ago that I very conveniently slipped in a Motion during the absence of Mr. FUNG Hon-chu, but may I point out, Sir, that I did not know of this until about three weeks ago. I did offer to Mr. FUNG that he should move the Motion and that I would be very happy to support it, but for certain reasons he insisted that the Motion should be moved by me and that he would support it. Is that right Mr. FUNG?
MR. FUNG HON-CHU:-Yes, I confirm that.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-And you will recall, Sir, too, that when I gave notice of a Motion in which the Fire Services was mentioned it was a more all-embracing Motion and I think you can confirm that too; the Fire Services was just one particular subject concerned in that particular Motion.
Now I should add, Mr. Chairman, that morale in the Department is very low, and I can't see why it should be said that morale in the Department is as good as it is. Perhaps certain members in the Department do feel that a good job has been done at the operational level and I would not dispute that. I think our Fire Services Department is doing an extremely fine job within the resources that are given to them. But from the public's point of view they feel that not enough is being done to improve fire prevention services in our multi-storey buildings. I think you can see that very clearly when you read the correspondence columns of the papers from time to time. I can only add that from what members have said so far, the cogent reasons which have been put forward by Mr. FUNG, Dr. BELL, Mr. WANG and other Members only reinforce the arguments which I have put forward that the Fire Services Department should be put under this Council.
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