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A copy of the audited Accounts has already been forwarded to the Accountant General as called for by S. 37 of the Ordinance and a copy of the Resolution now before Council will also be sent to the Accountant General to complete his records.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-I had not intended to say anything upon this motion especially as it has already largely been dealt with in Committee. However, Miss Cecilia YEUNG was to have asked a question concerning the salaries, housing and living allowances for the staff of the Urban Services Department which has been disallowed by you, Mr. Chairman. This only goes to show how inadequate this Council has become since it became a so-called independent financing body. Over 80% of the current income of the so-called independent finance is expended on payment of the Urban Services Department wages, and yet apparently it had been held to be beyond the jurisdiction of the Urban Council to ask any question about this 80%. I, as one of the Reform Club representatives on this Council, demand a public explanation by you, Mr. Chairman, and unless I have a satisfactory one, I shall refrain from voting on this motion as a protest.
MR. LO TAK-SHING (in English):-Mr. Chairman, in supporting the motion, I hope that we will not be so upset that 80% of our income is spent on staff because, you see, less than 80% of our income has been spent at all.
CHAIRMAN (in English):—It's a welcomed change of image. (Laughter).
MR. Lo (in English):-Well, the previous speaker said 80% of our income, and I merely wish to point out that it can hardly be so since we haven't even spent 80% of our income at all. I note that, in fact, over 25% of our income has not been spent. $62M surplus for the period is substantial and I merely would like to say, Mr. Chairman, that if this kind of service continues in future, the Council should give consideration to reducing our portion of the rates either by a Government refund or by direct refund to repay so that the balance be achieved between our laudable desire to improve our service to the public and the more necessary need for us to exercise restraint in spending public funds.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I also had not intended to speak. But since the matter of expenditure and salaries has been mentioned, and I think that since we have a surplus, we should be able to ask questions about why we have always labels stuck outside
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
about the Clerks offering to give the job for the pay because they don't get the pay for the job, and also there are complaints from the Pest Control and Labourers and I think it's time we look into these things and we would like to speak about our own staff and the salaries of our staff.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. BERNACCHI that as far as our powers concerned and our power to employ staff, we are limited. I have mentioned in our last debate that the deployment of staff and the salary is closely related and also management too, so I feel that we should fight for this right in co-ordination with the Government about administration, particularly concerning our power over finance only but over the deployment of staff. So long as we fight for this right, we will be heard.
MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG (in Cantonese): ---Although I give the Chairman my support for this motion, I feel that in the past year, we have tried our best to handle finance. The question I asked you I wonder why it was voted down because it was rejected last time. I felt that it is our obligation to look after the welfare of these junior staff. Assuming that the Government has gone into a pay-increase to the other classes, will the U.S.D. staff also have the same treatment because they are fighting for housing and living allowances as well.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, I support the motion. As for the pay increase of the Clerks, I am afraid that we have no say in administrative matters, but I would like to put down on record that I agree and this Council supports their fight for reasonable pay. Within our limited power, I would like to propose that if all the Clerks within the Government service get their pay, those in the U.S.D. should have the same treatment if it is within our means. I understand that with an income of $600, it is difficult to support one's family. On one hand, we congratulate ourselves on the excellent handling of our finance. On the other hand, we should bear in mind that the U.S.D. staff has worked very hard behind our backs. Apart from thanking them for their service, we should put down on record that we support their fight for reasonable pay so that they could live a more comfortable life and would be content in their work.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Does any other Member wish to speak? Does the Chairman of the Finance Select Committee wish to answer questions specifically on finance, before I exercise my right of reply?
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