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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. Before proceeding with the agenda, I would like to welcome back all those members who have been on leave.
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 12th September, 1972, were confirmed.
MR. A. de O. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of order. On the agenda, and in the minutes of the last meeting, there were three motions proposed by a single member. How do you reconcile that with Standing Order 6, Section (3), which states, "No member other than the Chairman shall have more than two notices of motion on any one agenda paper"?
CHAIRMAN:-You are quite right, Mr. SALES. This was a mistake and was not picked up until too late. We shall not let it happen again. (Laughter).
(Mr. Charles SIN arrived at this point)
MR. SALES:-May I ask, Sir, through you, the proposer of those three motions, a very long standing member of this Council, whether he was aware at that time that he was infringing the Standing Orders?
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI:-I shall not rise...
(Laughter).
PAPER
The Chairman laid upon the table the following paper:-
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of September, 1972.
QUESTIONS
(1) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
I have received many representations from members of the public expressing the fear that the Urban Services Department will not have a sufficient number of men and vehicles to clear all refuse collection points completely every day once the "Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" gets under way from November 1st, 1972; what assurance to the public can the Chairman give in this respect?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
I am assured by the Department that there will be sufficient men and vehicles to completely clear all refuse collection points daily. I wish, however, to appeal to the public not to deposit refuse indiscriminately at these points. Refuse can only be delivered to these points not more than ten minutes before the arrival of the collecting vehicle. Members of the public who do not observe this law will be prosecuted once the "Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" gets under way from 1st November, 1972.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, from when will rubbish be collected daily? As of to-day, or at some time in the future?
DR. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, as far as I know, for a long time the rubbish has been collected once every day. The problem is that people deposit the rubbish after it is collected; that is why we emphasise that private collecting people must deposit the rubbish only before the lorries come.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I have visited places where people complain that the rubbish has been there stagnant for days and days, and may I ask whether I can have the unqualified assurance of the Department which is under your control, Mr. Chairman, in your other capacity as Director of Urban Services, that from this day forward collection will be made daily at all points?
CHAIRMAN:-I give you that assurance, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. In fact, collection is made more than once in certain areas.
MR. PETER P. K. NG:-Mr. Chairman, in the answer that "members of the public who do not observe will be prosecuted", what about staff of the Urban Services Department who do the same thing?
CHAIRMAN:-Your question is out of order, Mr. NG.
MR. NG:-I am asking as a matter of fact a supplementary. Why is this out of order? I have seen staff of the Urban Services Department do it.
CHAIRMAN:-Your question is still out of order.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, you said members of the public, what about members who are not of the public? Is that out of order too?
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