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DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I think this must have been an Urban Services Department man, not a P.W.D. man. I think it is fairly firm now, because as the Vice-Chairman said, Sir, the piles are in and I do not think even the Select Committee can have second thoughts again, on whether to have an abattoir on each side of the harbour, or have one only in Hong Kong. I think this held it up for several years while these decisions were being changed.
MR. SALES:-Thank you. Then, Sir, is it a fact that a member of the Urban Services Department who was engaged to work on the abattoir has had enough time to retire before the construction of the abattoir has even started?
CHAIRMAN:-I don't think so Sir. I do not understand this mysterious reference of yours. I do not know how old Mr. NORTON is.
MR. SALES:-It was someone in your own Department.
(16) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:
Would the Chairman inform the Council whether this Council has any say in the future use of the site which has hitherto been occupied by the Mong Kok Police Station in Kowloon? If the answer is affirmative, then what is the general plan for such development?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The Urban Council has no say in the future use of this site. I am informed that the Fire Services Department will shortly occupy the existing building on the site on a temporary basis and that no decision has yet been taken on the timing of the eventual disposal of the site.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, you mean on a temporary basis?
That is to say the building has not been given to the Fire Services Department. It is only for their temporary use?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir.
MR. SALES: Sir, is not this the right time to take over that building after the Fire Services has occupied it. Then we could take it over lock, stock and barrel, Fire Services and all. (Laughter).
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, a supplementary question. I seem to remember that Mrs. ELLIOTT raised a question of whether this might not be considered for a very much needed multi-storey car park in the Mong Kok area. I suppose due consideration was given to that question, and has it been completely turned down in favour of the Fire Services?
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DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-The Public Works Department produced a paper about car parks about five years ago, and included this as one of the possible sites. I wonder if Mrs. ELLIOTT had a sight of this paper when she said this? I do not know how long the Fire Services will be in, I think it is for their Kowloon Headquarters. There is a new building scheduled to be built at some time, but I think the question of the future use is wide open, but until such time as the Fire Services goes to their new building they will be remaining there.
(17) DR. A. M. S. BELL asked the following question:
(a) Are you aware, Mr. Chairman, that the smoke and soot nuisance from a factory chimney at 108 Fa Yuen Street has in no way abated since the residents of 112 Fa Yuen Street originally complained through my ward office to you in November 1965?
(b) Can you please state whether you are aware yet of the outcome of the consultations between the factory management and their architect as to the possibility of further extending the present chimney so that it is reasonably well above other houses in the surrounding residential area?
(c) Since the amount of air pollution in the Colony is noticeably increasing, can you please state whether legislation is likely to be passed in the near future which would enable this Council to insist upon the use of smokeless fuel in certain areas of the city?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
The factory concerned makes noodles and is situated on the ground floor of a 9 storied building, the chimney of which is almost adjacent to No. 112 Fa Yuen Street- a 12 storied building.
The factory has, in fact, not yet been licensed as a food factory by this Council, since it still fails to comply fully with Fire Services Department requirements.
Also, as power driven machinery is used the factory is provisionally registered with the Labour Department, but I understand that it needs to comply with several outstanding requirements under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance before full registration is given.
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