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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. MACKENZIE: Might I suggest that nightsoil is what is dumped into West Lamma harbour and untreated sewage is what is being dumped into our harbour in increasing quantity.
(6) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question:-
Is the Chairman of "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign Committee satisfied with the progress which has been made to date and with the co-operation which is being extended from Government, business organizations and the community?
Have Urban Councillors been given any specific role in this Campaign, and how can their services best be used to ensure the success that we all desire?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE "KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN" CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
I am reasonably satisfied with the progress made in this Campaign and, indeed, many people have commented on the noticeable lessening in recent weeks of litter in the streets and public places, even before the "hard line" begins with the November clean-up.
As regards co-operation, the lead in Government has been given by His Excellency the Governor, and also by the Colonial Secretary who has sent a message to nearly 100,000 individual civil servants, calling for personal commitment to its success by the setting of an example in their own families and homes. Quite a number of business organizations have linked themselves with the aims and intentions of the Campaign, by sponsoring competitions and other publicity features, some of major significance. This number (46) is of no great significance in a comparative sense, however, if one reckons that there are 140,000 businesses registered in Hong Kong.
But, of course, I should like to see more commitment, particularly in the totality of commitment, from all sectors, and I make a further plea for all public-spirited citizens, all business licensees and all Departments to give total support to the Campaign. A good start might be for all such concerns to clean up their own factories, offices or other premises and their surrounding area.
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The Community Involvement Scheme, launched as recently as 21st September, should provide great scope for the advancement of the Campaign. To date, 74 Area Committees in the urban areas and 6 District Co-ordination Committees in the New Territories have enlisted the support of about 11,000 persons, most of whom are active and willing to work on this community project, and many more are expected to come forward. The Secretariat for Home Affairs is working virtually full time in developing this scheme.
As to the second part of the question, the "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign Committee on Saturday, 30th September, decided that Urban Councillors or, for that matter, any other prominent persons could best contribute to the success of the Campaign by aligning themselves publicly and solidly with the efforts being organized in their own areas by personal inspection visits.
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, my compliments to the Colonial Secretary. Am I to understand, as a very naive Urban Councillor, that 100,000 civil servants have been seconded to do scavenging for the duration of the Clean-Up Campaign?
DR. HUANG:-I propose, in answer, to say to a certain extent, to clean their homes and premises.
MR. SALES: May I hope that I will have a very friendly civil servant assigned to my street?
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, does the last part of the answer referring to "Urban Councillors and other public men could best contribute to the success of the Campaign, by aligning themselves publicly and solidly with the efforts being organized in their own areas by personal inspection visits", mean, from all that conglomeration of words, that it is urged that Urban Councillors inspect their own Wards to see what is being done?
DR. HUANG:-I think it is a very good idea if all Councillors will take the time off to look around and to make some suggestions and improvements around them, and I want to make another point that even the volunteers are not asked to clean the streets. Their main task will be for publicity and to ask people to follow the legislation. It is not really for cheap labour or anything like that.
MR. MACKENZIE:-Mr. Chairman, perhaps Councillors are not aware that members of the Resettlement Committee have undertaken during November to visit Resettlement Estates in order to meet the
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