}
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Planning should thus be given an important place in the order of business at our select committee meetings from now onwards. The Council must be firmly committed to total planning if it is our desire to give a high standard of service to the community. And, let there be much more public land used fairly for the good of the people at large.
(Messrs. Peter P. F. CHAN, B. A. BERNACCHI and Dr. Denny M. H. HUANG arrived at this point.)
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:
Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of August 1976.
QUESTION
(1) DR. P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):
Can we mobilize our youths to help the "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign along the lines of the Junior Police Call?
MR. AMBROSE K. C. CHOI, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): —-
Mr. Chairman, Dr. WONG asks whether we can mobilize young people to help the "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign along the lines of Junior Police Call.
Dr. WONG may be interested to know that we have already attempted and succeeded in mobilizing youth to help keeping Hong Kong clean. The "Clean Your City" Groups, which consist of school children, operate more or less along the lines of the Junior Police Call ever since they were formed in 1974. The "Clean Your City" Groups have been very active in contributing their enthusiasm towards the Campaign. Last summer, more than 11,000 C.Y.C. volunteers took part in the "Clean Our Beaches" operations and they are continuing to provide the same services during the current swimming season and the "Districts Clean-up" operations.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
the
The "Clean Your City" Groups are entirely voluntary and they are co-ordinated by our liaison with schools and voluntary agencies with considerable and invaluable assistance of the Education Department, the Home
and Affairs Department
Services Information Department and have proved very effective and useful. DR. WONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, can I ask a supple- mentary question? I think we are all aware that recently there have been several cases of rubbish throwing from high-rise buildings, and many cases include hard articles like bamboos or even water bottles and there have been several serious accidental cases from objects thrown down from high-rise buildings. I would make my question a little more specific. I would like the junior "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign students to place their spearheads towards this situation and there should be guided squadrons to find out and report to the relevant department the black spots where these articles are thrown down from high levels. In that case, I think the "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign would be more effective in a general way.
MR. CHOI (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I know about these sort of cases. In fact, a friend of mine, the headmaster of a certain school, Mr. CHAN, was seriously injured because of a certain falling object and had to stay in hospital for five days. Of course, we hope we can send our "Clean Your City" Group Members out, but it is quite difficult to find out the persons who actually threw the object. I think it is most difficult. I think the only way is to educate people which is the most effective way, because I do not think arrests can have any decisive effect because of a large number of people living here. So I think the only way to solve the problem is through education, making people understand that this kind of action would only cause damage and nothing else and I think our Committee has done a lot of work in this field and everybody knows what the result is. But at least people are stopping throwing the remains of their food out of the windows.
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, could I ask Mr. CHOI whether the "Clean Your City" Groups have the right to prosecute?
MR. CHOI (in Cantonese):-Well, of course, Dr. HUANG is very experienced in this field. I do not think I am in a position to answer your question. In fact, you are the most appropriate person to answer that question. (Laughter). I think I would like to have your advice on this point.