Page 172 of 242
324
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
steadily become the rule rather than the exception. Take for instance the case of the Sub-committee set up to review the existing requirements and procedure in applying for licences of which I am also the Chairman. The Committee worked diligently for months endeavouring to reach a satisfactory conclusion expecting due assistance from the professional staff of the U.S.D. But things did not work out as expected and therefore the Sub-committee had been making slow progress in this respect. I can quote a concrete example which concerns proposed requirements for cold storage. Of the 22 requirements and 17 conditions proposed by the U.S.D. staff, a layman like I myself could easily delete or amend with good reasons 16 items and suggest major review on two. It looks as if laymen are advising the professionals, but in fact it should have been the other way round. In light of this, Mr. Chairman, I hope you will really take some personal interest in this matter and do something about it in the interest of the community.
Coming back to unlicensed Food and Food premises, the Select Committee has recently set up a sub-committee consisting of your Assistant Director and two Council Members to examine the prosecution procedures and implementation methods and a report of their observation will hopefully be expected. I hope, Mr. Chairman, that you will advise your staff that their full co-operation is essential and that the success of this Sub-committee rests entirely with their whole-hearted assistance and co-operation.
The final point I wish to make is one that concerns the Delegation System whereby two members of the Select Committee are delegated by rotation to examine all licences application files. This over-taxing system is most inefficient and therefore undesirable in that many unofficial members simply don't have the time they need to go through all the files as this is an extremely time-consuming commitment. This is asking too much from the unpaid part-time "rubber-stamp". It is not surprising therefore under this circumstance to find that most files will get the green light as a matter of course, for nobody could afford the time to labour through every single file under examination which should be done by senior U.S.D. staff. And even if an unofficial happens to spot a mistake or an oversight from a file, the official side could always explain it off easily in one way or another or delay the whole matter by agreeing to investigate except that the results of the investigation are seldom made known to parties concerned. I therefore propose that the Delegation System should be done away with from next year, by which time I hope the streamlined and up-to-date requirements, conditions & procedures for licensing will take effect. In such case I believe that Unofficial Members can better deal with complaints or appeal more objectively without being prejudiced in any way. With the above remarks, Mr. Chairman, I support the motion. (Applause).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADJOURNMENT
5.08 P.M.
325
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, it was previously agreed that the Unofficial Members of this Council would have two days in which to make their speeches, and I now propose that this debate on the Motion be adjourned until Thursday, 4th November, at 2.30 p.m. in this Chamber.
That concludes the business of this meeting. Council stands adjourned until Thursday, 4th November, 1971, at 2.30 p.m.
Page 172 of 242