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CHAIRMAN: -He would need notice, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN:-I think I will answer the supplementary question. (Laughter). I think the "Clean Hong Kong Campaign" regarding resettlement estates is a matter of very urgent concern to the Resettlement Select Committee, and we are pressing the Department very hard as a committee and that is why, instead of letting me know there was such a question, the Department either accidentally or deliberately kept it from my notice, which is wrong on their part constitutionally.
However, the committee has agreed to have a special additional meeting to tackle this "Clean Hong Kong Campaign" on the suggestion of a very conscientious member, Mr. John MACKENZIE.
We have already scheduled the additional meeting which will be on the 23rd of this month, I just cleared it with the Secretary, and if Mr. CHEONG-LEEN is very keen he is cordially invited by me and the other committee members to attend and give us his advice.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I have the fullest confidence in my colleague, Mr. Peter C. K. CHAN, and do not think it is necessary for me to attend, unless he does not have enough confidence in himself and wants me to attend. Mr. Chairman, could I finish my supplementary? Could the Commissioner elaborate a little further on what is meant by a “distorted vision"? Since when has his Department had a distorted vision? Could he explain that a little further?
COMMISSIONER for Resettlement:-Mr. Chairman, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN makes an amusing play upon words. What we were trying to say, and clearly our message did not get across, was that, in the distorted vision of the tenants, they are free to dump where they please and wherever they dump they expect our staff to follow them faithfully and pick it up.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, would you agree that I ask on a point of clarification: why has Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, as Chairman of the Civic Association, muzzled Mr. Peter C. K. CHAN when he stood up just now to give another explanation? (Laughter)
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I would gladly answer that, but just by way of clarification from Mr. SALES, may I ask why he should be so interested in politics as a non-political member?
MR. SALES: As a member of the Civic Association, I am interested. (Laughter)
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: I will have to check whether Mr. SALES has paid his dues up-to-date. (Laughter)
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(3) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:--
I have received complaints from residents living in Wang Tau Hom Resettlement Estate stating that with youth gangs quite freely operating in the Estate they and their children dare not go about their affairs too late at night; to what extent is the Resettlement Department aware of such a situation; has the Resettlement Department brought this to the attention of the Police?
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
The answer to the first part of this question is that the estates staff at Wang Tau Hom are not aware of any general apprehension of the sort described and I understand that, in practice, if there were indeed widespread fears of gang activity this would become known to the staff.
The reply to the second part of the question is that the Police are well aware that groups of youths do move around this estate in the evenings, just as they do in other estates and in many other parts of the Colony. I am sure that the Police would welcome any information from residents of any groups of youths who give cause for alarm. For example, if it were observed that a group tended to assemble habitually or to molest persons in a particular area, then such a report can and should be made to the Police Reporting Centre at Block 21 of the estate. Up to to-day no such report has been made.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I brought this to the attention of the Council because this is an actual case of assault by a youth gang on a young boy living in that area, and I did try to ask that particular party to bring this to the attention of the police. However, the family refused to do so. Whether or not it is a widespread fear, I think is a matter of opinion. All I do know is that from what this family told me, they said that many residents in that area were nervous and concerned, and I shall try to seek that party out to see if they would be willing to provide additional information, but it is a fact, from what I was told, that there is certain fear on the part of residents in that area.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I have had repeated reports at this time from the same estate. I wonder if the Commissioner or Mr. CHAN can say why the estate staff are not aware of this. Do they do any investigation?
MR. CHAN:-Well, if Mrs. ELLIOTT had actually informed me of that in writing, I think either the Commissioner and myself would like
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