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fall I am sure she would make her name throughout the whole world. (Laughter).
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, I would like to confirm from the Director of Public Works, through you, that in the last rainstorm the Yuen Long area was saved from suffering any damage because Government is building a new drainage system in Yuen Long? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: Mr. Hu, I cannot even give you the satisfaction of asking that question next month. It is in the New Territories.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, the Director of Public Works gave me a very amusing answer to my last supplementary question, completely ignoring the second part of it, which was could some supplementary drainage not be arranged around the City Hall to prevent flooding if the nullah should be blocked in future?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: Mr. Chairman, it would make things much easier for me, and I am sure for Mr. BARTY, if Dr. BELL could ask one question at a time, but the answer to her question is that the fall, due to successive reclamations, is very small. This poses one of our biggest problems. When the nullah did block, the fall on the ground was so slight that the water simply couldn't get away fast enough. This is the fundamental problem, easy enough to solve in theory by just raising the level of Queen's Road by ten feet. But in practice it is an extremely difficult problem, and even if drains were greatly enlarged or, as Dr. BELL suggests, supplementary drains were built, if the silt gets in there isn't enough fall, and the water will not get away fast enough to disperse intensities of six inches in one hour.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, that being the case, are we taking steps to make alterations within the City Hall to prevent damage occurring again as it occurred this time? Are we going to build it up on stilts or something?
CHAIRMAN: That is a legitimate question about the City Hall, but I must rule it out of order this month.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, if the Director of Public Works can answer this question without too much difficulty, since it is a general question concerning drainage in the urban area—is the Director of Public Works paying particular attention to the area below Braemar Reservoir in case there should be very heavy rains at some time in the future?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: I would answer that to the extent of saying yes.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Thank you very much.
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(14) MR. CHEUNG WING-IN asked the following question:
My attention has been drawn to the fact that a large pool exists in the Central Reclamation which has been used by many children for the purpose of swimming. As this pool may pose a health hazard, not to mention the possibility of children drowning in it, can steps be taken to have it filled up as soon as possible?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
1. I assume that the large pool to which Mr. CHEUNG Wing-in refers is within the reclamation area to the west of the Star Ferry Pier where dumping is now in progress.
2. This reclamation is being done by public dumping and it will be a considerable time before it is completed.
3. Notices are posted to warn the public that it is dangerous to swim in this or any other pools on reclamations.
4. A stormwater drain discharges into the pool, but the pool is open to the sea and is subject to tidal action. It is, therefore, unlikely to pose a health problem.
MR. CHEUNG WING-IN: May I ask the Director of Public Works through you, Mr. Chairman, doesn't the drainage water and also sewage discharge into the harbour in the same section of the waterfront?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: It is stormwater drainage which comes in, but I think like so many of our stormwater drains, a certain amount of sewage gets into it by unofficial means. But basically the water that comes in there is stormwater. It is a drain to take rain water, street cleansing water, not sewage.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could I ask the Director of Public Works, through you, whether in fact any fencing has been put around to prevent children getting anywhere near it. Is it possible to put fencing there? That is the first part of the question. The second part, if it is not possible, what other methods could be taken to actually keep children away. Could a watchman perhaps be put there?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: Mr. Chairman, I do not think it is possible to put fencing there because these are works areas. Many lorries are going in there and have got to have free access. In regard to the second part of the question, I do not think children will take any notice of a Public Works Department watchman, or any other watchman. Notices prohibiting swimming are there, but if they want to swim they will swim.
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