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to this motion because this question should be referred to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee. The reason is very simple and realistic. Firstly, since last October during our Clean Hong Kong Campaign, we sent out 160,000 plastic bags and asked people to put their refuse into them, but only two-thirds of them were used, and a few years ago our Council promoted a campaign asking the householders to wrap up their refuse before putting it into rubbish bins, but this campaign was not successful. As for the plastic bags, it was estimated that we need some $25 million a year, and for the plastic bins it is a great amount of some $13 million also, and these are estimates within the last six months. Now that is more than $38 million, and could easily reach $100 million, and I am sure that under our present financial situation it is not possible to do this. A third point is that at present we have no regulations to ask householders to wrap refuse before putting it into their bins. Before the education campaign was successful, most people would put their refuse in the street, and this is beyond our control. Lastly, the Council recently ordered six refuse collection carts and I think even before these are proven to decide what we will do in future is not a wise move. Lastly, I honestly assure Dr. WONG and Mr. TSIN that whatever the result of their motion our Committee would continue to try to find a solution to refuse collection.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. Does any other Member wish to have the floor? No? Then, I would ask Dr. WONG whether he wishes to exercise his right of reply.
DR. WONG (in English):-Personally I have visited quite a number of stores and I am given to understand that plastic bags are selling quite well at $1 per 10 in one envelope. That might answer Dr. HUANG's claim that the plastic bags are not used by householders. Another thing I should like to ask is: what efforts shall we make to ask the workers not to throw the refuse on the ground before sorting out? That is one thing we must look into.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. Now, all those Members who wanted to speak have asked for and been given the floor. And, Dr. WONG has exercised his right to reply. So, I will now put the question to refer this motion to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee under Standing Order 20, Section 16(j), as proposed by Mr. FORSGATE, seconded by Mr. T. S. Lo.
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 16 for, 3 against and 2 abstentions.
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(2) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG moved the following motion:
"RESOLVED that the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances By-Laws, 1973, be made under Section 15 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132."
He said (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the proposed amendments to the By-laws now before Members are intended to strengthen the measures taken by this Council to enforce cleansing and hygiene legislation inside buildings in anticipation of the "Clean Our Buildings" Campaign. The action phase of this campaign which is part of the continuing process of "Keep Hong Kong Clean" begins on 15th August with a massive block-to-block cleansing operation covering the urban areas, the towns and villages of the New Territories and all Government Housing Estates. The Environmental Hygiene Select Committee considers it to be highly desirable that the proposed amendments to the By-laws be enacted by this Council before the commencement of this action phase.
(Mr. T. S. LO left the meeting at this point.)
The most important amendments are those concerning the existing By-laws 5, 8 and 13. The new paragraph 2 of By-law 5 provides that a notice requiring litter to be removed from common parts of a building may be served on the person having control in the management or cleansing of the building. By-law 2(a) extends the provision to other common parts of the building and prescribes that the notice may be served on the owner or occupier.
By-law 2(b) replaces By-law 5(3) of the principal by-laws and provides that a notice served under By-law 5(1) or (2) may also require the person on whom it is served to clean, and to keep clean for a period not exceeding 30 days the area or common part of a building specified. This new provision provides for continuing responsibility in keeping an area clean and is aimed at persistent offenders, who are quite content to comply with a series of notices in the knowledge that they will not be prosecuted unless they are caught in the act of littering. This by-law will be exercised with special care, particularly in the early stages, until enforcement staff become aware, through experience, of the circumstances in which it can be used most effectively.
By-law 2(c) replaces By-law 5(4) of the principal By-laws and provides that when a notice under By-law 5(1) or (2) is not complied with...