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MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):--No, Mr. Chairman, we are also hoping to find a suitable type of beach cleaner. The Hill-Billy Transporter in itself is really only for transporting. How it's used is thus: the heavier, larger items of refuse and litter, and so on, on the beaches are collected by hand and put in baskets, and the Transporters are used to transport the baskets from the beaches to the central point where refuse lorries are situated. The beach cleaner is used for going over sand and for picking up small items of refuse mechanically, and not by hand.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, on the question of appraising suitable equipment, may I ask if the Committee has in fact studied the performance characteristics of numbers of beach cleaning machines to help themselves to reach a conclusion? In other words, have they made a critical commercial appraisal of the available equipment?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):—I am at a slight disadvantage, since the first type, the "Beemer" Beach Cleaner, was ordered when I was not even on the Committee. So I do not know what did happen at that stage. Naturally, we will study the brochures and so on for any new type of machine, and decide whether the characteristics are suitable for our beaches.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):-I wonder if this is the most efficient method of finding the correct equipment—utilizing one machine per year until we luckily strike the right thing?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-We do not just buy them like that, Mr. Chairman. We of course go to tender.
(3) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question (in English):---- What action has been initiated as a result of the survey by Mr. D. C. DRUMMOND (W.H.O. consultant on rodent control) early this year into rodent population and control in Hong Kong? Is the Council satisfied with the effectiveness of existing control methods?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):- Upon receipt of Mr. DRUMMOND's draft report, the following action was taken by the Urban Services Department:
1. Plans were made and approved to send an Assistant Pest Control Officer to U.K. for specialised training on rodent control.
2. Approval was obtained for the setting-up of a Field Investigation Unit consisting of 1 Pest Control Assistant and 4 Pest Control Labourers.
3. From now onwards, arrangements have been made to conduct monthly rat-flea surveys on a continuous month-to-month basis, instead of in every alternate year.
4. Consideration is being given to dispensing with rodent-bins.
With regard to the second part of the question, the direct control methods used by the Department are adapted from methods developed in the United Kingdom, to suit local conditions. These methods are similar to those used in many developed countries with satisfactory results, while rodenticides in use are also checked for effectiveness against local rodents.
The Department has hitherto experienced very high turnover rates in the field operative and supervisory grades, and it is acknowledged that many of the field staff need more training and experience to carry out their duties more efficiently. The recent reorganization of the Department has relieved the Pest Control Officers of all administrative duties, which took up a substantial part of their time, and this will enable them to participate more in in-service training programmes of field staff already planned. The same reorganization will hopefully bring forth more coordinated management of resources for better control of environmental hygiene.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked a supplementary question in two parts (in English):
(1) As reference is made here to a draft report, do I understand that the final report will be forthcoming in due course?
(2) Has the action initiated by the Urban Services Department, outlined in these four points, covered all the recommendations of the Drummond report?
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