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MR. SALES: Sir, that might have been so but I wasn't there at the time. Next time I suggest that your own private photographer, Mr. Chairman, should be posted there to take pictures of reporters sipping soft drinks instead.
(4) MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE asked the following question:
How many beach litter-bugs have been successfully prosecuted this year, and if so, what were they fined by the Court?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
The straight answer to this question is that no beach litterbugs have been prosecuted this year and none since, it is believed, 1948 but it does not mean to say the Department will not do so.
Before I explain the position in detail, I think I ought to say that a good proportion of beach litter is either washed in on the tide or produced by picnickers at night, when no staff are on duty.
Beach staff have no powers of arrest or removal. Nor is it considered appropriate to seek such powers because life-guards and cleansing labourers are not primarily concerned with the enforcement of the Bathing Beach By-laws which is done by Chargemen/Artisans and Amenities Assistants.
If powers of arrest or removal are considered inappropriate for beach staff, the remaining alternatives are persuasion or prosecution. So if they see a member of the public littering the beach, they have instructions to advise him to pick it up and put it in a litter bin. This practice is followed to some extent, but regrettably it has only a marginal effect.
The Recreation and Amenities Division does not think prosecution will be much more effective. For example, the Cleansing Division prosecutes a great many people for litter offences without apparently reducing appreciably the amount of litter deposited in the urban areas. Therefore, in the opinion of the Recreation and Amenities Division, prosecutions for infringements of the Bathing Beach By-laws would be virtually useless unless they were done in considerable numbers, heavy fines were imposed, and the results publicized on the beaches. The Division's own
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experience towards the end of last year and earlier this year in five trial prosecutions for offences against one of the Pleasure Grounds By-laws over matshed theatres on playgrounds, coupled with the commonly light fines imposed in prosecutions brought by the Cleansing Division, gives it little confidence in prosecutions as a deterrent.
A second though less important factor is that, even if prosecutions were thought worthwhile, the lowest staff level at which action could be initiated is probably the Amenities Assistant Class III grade but four of these officers are responsible for the twelve Hong Kong beaches, so that a good part of their time is spent in commuting from one beach to another.
The Recreation and Amenities Division is of course not content with the present state of affairs; discussions have been taking place with the Information Services Department with the object of mounting an anti-litter campaign at the Colony's five most popular beaches, including three on Hong Kong Island. At its May meeting the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee approved proposals for increasing the cleansing and lifesaving staff at beaches, and improving the standard of supervision at each beach. If these proposals are approved by the Government, and if this year's proposed experimental campaign proves a failure, it may be necessary for the upgraded beach supervisors to mount a sustained campaign of prosecutions as a trial to see if this produces the desired effect.
MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE asked the following question:
Will the Chairman ask Government to consider allocating as appropriate, open areas underneath elevated roadways and flyovers to this Council for recreational and amenity purposes?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
I wish to thank Mr. FORSGATE for asking this question as it provides the opportunity for me to inform this Council of the arrangements which the Public Works Department has made to ensure that, from the planning stage, project engineers consider the use to which land under flyovers might be put and to ensure that the Urban Services Department is consulted at all stages.
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