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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The answer to the first part is “No”.
With regard to the other parts—
(i) Twenty baskets of litter and sweepings are collected from within the park area and these are taken twice a day to a collection centre at the car park in Kowloon Tsai Park near the swimming pool. There is a morning clearance from this centre and this normally operates every day at about 10 a.m. I must stress that this "refuse" from the park is not household refuse, is not generally obnoxious and there is no reason why it should not remain in the centre overnight. However, for it to remain there in open baskets is an unacceptable arrangement which is not permitted. Litter bins of the 40-gallon drum type (with lids) have been obtained and eight of these are in position already.
(ii) Any person found deliberately depositing litter outside proper containers can be prosecuted but it would be more normal for disciplinary action to be taken against staff if they were found doing this. It is bad management to place uncovered baskets of paper and leaves in any open space and the overspill of litter or its blowing around in the area is not acceptable. The provision of covered drums will prevent or make this inexcusable in future.
(iii) For ease of collection, it is the practice to have litter from Kowloon Tsai Park assembled within the adjacent car park. The area used there does not encroach into parking spaces as it is close to the embankment. However, it is considered that the collection point should be enclosed, and with this measure and if covered bins are provided, any spillage of litter around the area should altogether cease. Action to provide a proper enclosure will be taken.
The investigation aroused by the question has been extended to other parks and Kowloon Park has also been found to be operating in the same way. Similar remedial measures are being taken, and in all parks if and where this is not at present the practice, covered bins will replace all uncovered baskets left at collection points for removal.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. NG (In English):—Mr. Chairman, thank you for the almost frank answer, not exactly all that frank. When were those 40-gallon drum-type bins placed there?
DR. HUANG (In Cantonese):—I can estimate that these were placed there after your question was raised. (Laughter).
MR. NG (In English):—Mr. Chairman, before proceeding on to a few more supplementaries, can I table a few pictures? These are in colour and you can have my permission to print them in the annual report without charge.
CHAIRMAN (In English):—Mr. P. K. NG, we must establish whether the quality is high enough for us to accept your offer. (Laughter).
MR. NG (In English):—One picture was taken on 13th May at 9:30 a.m. These two were taken on 20th May, one week later, at 11 a.m. Now my second supplementary is, more or less for clarification. In the answer it says the refuse is generally not obnoxious, and it was not household refuse, but if you would care to take a look at those pictures, you can see clearly that is household refuse and it is quite obnoxious. Can you explain the reason?
DR. HUANG (In Cantonese):—I believe that, generally speaking, there should not be so-called household refuse in the park. As to why Mr. NG has been able to produce such good pictures, we must look into whether this is because the workers' quarters are nearby. Generally speaking, people who visit the park usually produce litter such as paper bags and not household refuse.
MR. NG (In English):—Mr. Chairman, could it be from the caterers in the canteen nearby?
DR. HUANG (In Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I admire Mr. NG's imagination. But this is possible.
MR. NG (In English):—Mr. Chairman, one last supplementary. In the answer it says the area used there does not encroach into parking space as it is close to the embankment. As you will clearly see from these pictures, it is clearly encroaching into about five parking spaces.
DR. HUANG (In Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, when Mr. NG took those pictures I was not there, and whether it happened I am not sure. Mr. NG said they were taken on 13th and 20th May; when I wrote my report, it was 20th. I hope the situation is improved. (Laughter).
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