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official press releases regarding the Urban Council. Can we telephone them? If there is such a release can we have a copy straight away regarding a particular department?
CHAIRMAN:-I think so, but I will make enquiries about that, Mr. CHAN. I have also been informed that the Police had their information officers before this five-year phased programme was introduced.
MRS. ELLIOTT:--Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification, may say that whenever I want to know anything, I write to the Information Services Department and they write back giving the information.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Subject to what the Chairman of the Local Administration Select Committee would like to say, may this question of how closely the Government Information Services works with the Council as a Council be referred to the Local Administration Select Committee which handles this sphere of affairs?
CHAIRMAN:--Would you be happy to take that on, Mr. SALES?
MR. SALES:--I would like to bring to the attention of the Members of this Urban Council that each year the Select Committee meets with the Government Information Services and all the Assistant Directors of the Urban Services Department, and that Select Committee evolves a programme for the public relations work of the Urban Council. Then the Assistant Directors, under your guidance and the Government Information Services Department carry out that programme. I would also like to mention that sometimes it happens that projects which are carried out by the Urban Council are credited to other departments. This is the latest example of something going wrong and then, of course, the Select Committee draws the attention of the department to the matter, if the department has not yet noticed it, and, of course, it is set right by our Chairman or Secretary. We are alive particularly to the occasions when the public relations work of the Urban Services Department does not measure up to the programme set out by the Select Committee through no fault of the department, but more particularly through, shall we say, a misunderstanding on the part of the Government Information Services.
(11) MR. PETER C. K. CHAN asked the following question:-
I have received numerous representations regarding the new Resettlement Policy in giving $6,000 compensation to surveyed and tolerated shop squatters and shop operators in cottage areas and I understand that the Resettlement Department has recently discussed this matter with some representatives of these people concerned:
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Can this Council be informed whether there is going to be any modification of this policy? If so, what are they?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT, replied as follows:-
The policy with regard to squatter shops has not been modified. If, of course, any change were to be made, the Resettlement Select Committees would first be consulted.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, if I do not misunderstand my own English, I think my question is about the squatter shops as well as shop operators in cottage areas. The answer only refers to squatters shops. I asked also about the shop operators in cottage areas.
CHAIRMAN:-I am afraid I would need notice of that question, Mr. CHAN.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-I have given notice about this question properly.
CHAIRMAN:-That is so, Mr. CHAN. The Commissioner for Resettlement will probably be in a better position to answer than myself.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-I do not know whether this is in accordance with the Standing Order, may this question be raised again and put on the Agenda for the next meeting as a question which has not been fully answered.
CHAIRMAN:-You do not allow me to get further information from the Commissioner for Resettlement and communicate it to you, Mr. CHAN?
MR. C. K. CHAN:--Perhaps it would be better that this question be referred in toto to the Resettlement Policy Committee or the Joint Committee of the Resettlement Policy and Management?
CHAIRMAN:-Certainly, Mr. CHAN.
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, surely our colleague who is the Chairman of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee, or the Chairman of the Resettlement Management, could provide us with the answer now? I think it is a simple question.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Before I force my learned colleague to answer this question, I would say that perhaps you know, from the Press I read of the negotiations between the representatives and the Resettlement Department does not include the name of my learned colleague, the Chairman of the Management Committee in the negotiations, which
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