HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
resigned. Far from it, I am most impressed by the past achievements of the Council and by its obvious determination for the future. I am sure, Sir, that the Council should look back as well as forward in this Conventional Debate and take heart in the progress that has already been made.
As far as the health of the community is concerned, the crude death rate has fallen to 4.7 per 1,000 population, the birth rate to 19.9 per 1,000 population and the infant mortality rate to 21.8 per 1,000 live births, figures which compare favourably with the more advanced countries of the world. Despite the modern marvels of medicine and surgery, this extremely satisfactory state of health could not have been achieved without a very sound basic infrastructure of hygiene and sanitation. The measures which the Council have taken in the past has done much to ensure that this rapidly growing urban population is protected from the menace of infection and ill health from which some of our unfortunate neighbours have suffered.
Turning now to points made by members during this Debate last month, Mr. Hu suggested that the department should work out ways and means of disposing of rubbish in resettlement blocks. The existing arrangements are that trailers are sited at convenient points within resettlement estates for reception of refuse. In new estates where refuse chutes are provided, residents can dispose of their refuse through the chutes into bulk containers and collection is made by specialized Pakamatic vehicles. The problem is, Sir, to motivate the residents to use the facilities provided. The staff of the Health Education Section has, in the past few months, in conjunction with the Resettlement Department, taken part in many radio health educational plays aimed to persuade residents of resettlement estate blocks not to throw rubbish in the passages, staircases and courtyards and to dispose of it sanitarily in the receptacles supplied. As suggested by Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN this method will be further expanded and a plan formulated with the Resettlement and Education Departments, City District Officers and other organizations to educate the estate residents.
Both Mr. Kenneth Lo and Mr. Hu proposed that more litter bins should be placed in the streets. With this I thoroughly agree. In the month of August 800 additional bins were sited in the streets making a total of 4,239 bins in both Hong Kong and Kowloon. Another 700 will be installed in the next three months. The provision of litter bins in the streets is the subject of review from time to time, but it must be pointed out that they are only meant for litter and not for household refuse. The law requires an occupier to provide his own dustbin on the premises.
Mr. BERNACCHI commented on the lack of cleanliness of our streets, saying that they did not compare with the clean streets of Singapore. He questioned whether there were enough labourers to clean the streets in Hong Kong and if they were doing their job properly. Sufficient staff are being provided to sweep all streets in the congested areas four times and the lanes twice daily. In addition, the streets and lanes are also washed once weekly. The anti-social habit of littering accounts for the majority of refuse in the streets and this is aggravated by the high density of population in the urban areas. Hawkers are generally considered the main offenders. They not only make the streets dirty by depositing refuse but leave behind their goods and paraphernalia in streets and lanes, causing obstructions to cleansing operations. Shopkeepers also are in the habit of leaving their goods and wares in the streets and lanes. Under the circumstances, Mr. Chairman, though there is room for improvement, I am amazed that our streets are as clean as they are.
Mr. FORSGATE, referring to industrial waste, mentioned the disposal problems caused by redundant wooden pallets used in modern transportation. Since 1965 there has been an ever increasing quantity of bulky refuse collected from the streets, the disposal of which is becoming more and more of a problem. The Urban Services Department is now experimenting with a specialized German vehicle fitted with a crushing device. If successful, the vehicle will provide a means of treating bulky refuse at source, and it is hoped it will also be able to cope with the problem of the wooden pallets mentioned by Mr. FORSGATE.
Mr. BERNACCHI referred to the time taken to obtain restaurant licences. The Food and Food Premises Select Committee is fully aware of the point made by Mr. BERNACCHI and has, over the years, kept its procedures under constant review. Only recently, the Select Committee set up a Sub-Committee to re-examine its procedures and, in addition, the requirements for all types of food premises. The Sub-Committee has already made recommendations as to improvements in the licensing procedure as it affects all food premises including restaurants. These recommendations have been adopted by the Select Committee and are being implemented. It is hoped that this new procedure will speed up the issue of the licences considerably, although I must stress that much depends on how quickly the restaurateurs, referred to by Mr. BERNACCHI, comply with the health and safety regulations of the Council. Past experience indicates that in the majority of cases any delay in licensing lies with the applicant.
Referring to the subject of unlicensed food premises mentioned by Mr. Kenneth Lo in his speech, I wish to say that raising the standard of hygiene in all food premises by intensifying prosecution of unlicensed food premises and physical closure of these premises is in fact being implemented. In order to give a rough picture of what the Department has been doing in this connection, I would like to state
Page 183 of 241
346
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
347
183 of 24