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MR. BERNACCHI:-Two supplementaries. Was the appeal received before or after the sunshades were demolished?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-That, I cannot tell you, Mr. Chairman. It was, in fact, the same day. The appeal arrived in the office on the 24th and, as the shopkeepers had been notified the previous day, action took place on that day itself.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-On a point of information, this is the way it happened. I think that the appeal was sent to Mr. Hu, but I was informed of the appeal and I did inform the Committee, while the committee was meeting, that there was a paper but I had not seen it. That was before the demolition, and Mr. P. S. Woo, Mr. Henry WONG and I visited the place before demolition.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Now, my next supplementary. When was the operation in Wong Tai Sin started?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I think I would have to have notice of that question, Mr. Chairman. I am afraid I have not got the information.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Next question is, is it yet finished?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-So far as I know, it is, but I could not state so categorically. I know that there are further operations due to take place at Tsz Wan Shan, but I believe the ones at Wong Tai Sin are now finished.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, can I answer that? Last Saturday there were sunshades sprawling all over the place where I was.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-It is now Tuesday.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I think rather than asking further supplementaries, I would request the Commissioner to mention it at the next meeting of the Policy Select Committee.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Yes, I do not know whether Mr. BERNACCHI is aware, Mr. Chairman, but Mr. Henry Hu has asked that the petition be put before the Select Committee at its next meeting which I think is on Thursday.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I was not aware.
(9) In the absence of MR. HENRY H. L. Hu, MR. Woo PO-SHING asked the following question:
Could the Chairman please inform the Council how much money has so far been incurred to the Government for running the Urban Council's Ward Offices since the 1st November, 1965? What is the Government policy towards the Urban Councillors' running the Ward Offices?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
It is not possible to say what has been spent on the Ward Office System since it was introduced in November 1965. Most of the costs have been indirect, i.e. stationery provided from Headquarters stocks, clerical staff who are given time off in lieu of overtime, electricity which cannot be shown separately from electricity consumed outside of ward office hours, transport for which departmental cars are provided, etc. No records are kept on indirect costs; indeed, it would be an expensive task to do so. With regard to the second part of the question I am not quite sure what is meant by "Government policy towards Urban Councillors running the ward offices". The Government has, of course, approved the Ward Office System. All requests which have been made by Members since the introduction of the system, and which were regarded by Members as improvements to the system, have been approved by Government. As I said in reply to Mr. BLAKER earlier, Government has also directed heads of departments to give due consideration to matters outside the jurisdiction of the Council but have been referred to them by Councillors from their ward offices. In short, therefore, Government's policy on the Urban Council Ward System is to afford every assistance possible to ensure the system's success.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I would, Mr. Chairman, repeat my question that, as Government's policy is to afford every assistance possible to ensure the system's success, can the Government release to the Ward Councillor concerned the non-confidential files of other departments?
CHAIRMAN:-As already stated, I will take this up with the Secretariat.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, in view of your second paragraph, can you say that the cost of the Ward System is almost negligible? There is one point, that is, the clerical staff working overtime. I understand they are given compensation leave instead of overtime pay. The only persons to get overtime pay are the drivers, and even now they have arranged a new shift, and as far as I am aware there is no overtime payment involved: it is just a question of compensation leave.
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