HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -Mr. Chairman, I would like to be able to give that assurance.
(2) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:-
Is any control being exercised over lorries collecting water from streams, especially in Lung Cheung Road, and can the Vice-Chairman say to what sources such water is going?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
No control is exercised over lorries collecting water from streams or other water sources for private sales. As I said in my answer to the previous question, such control would not be practicable.
Much of the water delivered in Kowloon is derived from wells located in Sha Tin and from known collection points in Lung Cheung Road. This water is delivered to industry, laundries, barber shops and restaurants.
Again, as I said in answer to the previous question, water delivered to restaurants, food factories, etc. is carefully checked at the user end and not at source. It is known that non-mains water purchased by licensees of food premises is used for flushing, cleansing and as a cooler for air-conditioning plants. The rigid checks made by Health Staff have not indicated that any proprietor of any food business is using non-mains water for potable purposes.
MR. BERNACCHI:-If a lorry delivers water otherwise than to licensed restaurants, then no control is exercised at all. That is the effect of your answer, is it? In that event, is special attention being paid to any unlicensed restaurant with a view to closing it down?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -Mr. Chairman, I am afraid I have not any details which would enable me to answer Mr. BERNACCHI's question. I will certainly investigate and give him a reply.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, why are these questions affecting food and food premises not answered by the Chairman, Mr. Wilfred WONG, who I am quite sure is capable of answering questions on health matters. (Laughter).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. WONG:---Mr. Chairman, may I say there are two phases in this question. One is purely on the medical side as it relates to water, and the other is the end result at the restaurant. I think Mr. BERNACCHI's question refers to the source, that is the quality of the water, which would be more appropriate to be answered by the Deputy Director.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Perhaps my question referred to the source. The Deputy Director's answer in effect says no control is being exercised over the source. Control is being exercised over the end, which throws the ball to the Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee. (Laughter).
MR. WONG:-May I say that as far as the Food and Food Premises Select Committee is concerned, it is most concerned with stored water not properly treated, and especially in those restaurants that are unlicensed or have not abided by the rules. We will see to it that they be closed for short periods in order to ensure that they are not a menace to public health.
(3) MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG asked the following question:
Last year I raised the question of the disappearance of the raft at Shek O Beach. Is it possible to restore the three rafts which have been traditionally stationed at Shek O instead of the one in view of the thousands of people who frequent that beach during the summer?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
I said in reply to a question on this subject, which was raised last year, that the reason for removing rafts from the public bathing beach at Shek O was the prohibitive cost involved in repairing them when they were frequently blown ashore.
In my previous reply, I undertook to examine the problem further in Select Committee. From this investigation the Select Committee agreed that rafts placed in the relatively exposed waters of Shek O required a firmer mooring than those elsewhere.
Each beach raft is normally secured by a 3-ton concrete block. An experiment made this year at Shek O Beach with one raft using a 15-ton block has so far proved successful and, if this holds good for the remainder of the swimming season, it is proposed next year to add two more rafts.
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