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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
contravention of the Summary Offences Ordinance. Enforcement of this law is primarily the responsibility of the Police. The Attorney General has stated, in reply to a question in the Legislative Council similar to that which you are now asking, that the present law is not satisfactory and must be improved, and the maximum penalty increased. The throwing of objects from windows or balconies, besides being a danger to the public, is also littering and a contravention of By-law 4(1) of the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances By-laws. It is extremely difficult to detect littering from a window or balcony of a high-rise building and to obtain sufficient evidence to prosecute, but in the last three months, 27 prosecutions were taken out by staff of the Urban Services Department for such offences. There is also publicity about the dangers and irresponsibility of throwing objects out of windows, with the object of educating the public not to do it. Members may have seen, for example, the regular commercial on television on the subject.
The rest of 1977 will see the following measures in pursuance of the anti-litter campaign:
Firstly, the re-structuring and bringing up to strength of litter squads which will, it is hoped, improve their performance and make Hong Kong more litter free; secondly, a "Clean Beach" Publicity Campaign during the months June to August, 1977; thirdly, district clean-up operations in Hawker and Market areas during the months October to November, 1977; fourthly, extensive publicity for the 5-95555 litter complaint telephone number; fifthly, greater involvement of the community in the campaign; finally, continuation of the Picnic Warden Scheme.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English): Mr. Chairman, to what extent are the litter squads undermanned and what has been done to bring up their strength?
MRS. HO (in English): Mr. Chairman, you will be happy to hear that at the last Environmental Hygiene Select Committee meeting, the restructuring of the litter squads and a recommendation that they should be improved was discussed at great length and this is being processed.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English): Mr. Chairman, one further question please. Is there enough staff to deploy to the Victoria Park?
MRS. HO (in English): I think, Mr. Chairman, my answer is that the Urban Council has sufficient staff not only for Victoria Park but for other work which the Council is involved.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English): Mr. Chairman, in the development plans for 1977 I see no reference to litter wardens. May I ask Mrs. Ho if it is planned to increase the establishment of litter wardens, and if consideration will be given to recruiting female wardens?
MRS. HO (in English): Mr. MACKENZIE's hearing may be defective. Or maybe it was my delivery. I did say in my reply that re-structuring and bringing up to strength of the litter squads will be carried out and this includes increasing the establishment.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English): Mr. Chairman, I misunderstood, I understood what reference was to litter squads for cleansing, to be litter wardens.
MRS. HO (in English): The litter wardens will be part of the litter squad.
DR. WONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, throwing objects out of the window, I believe I asked a question about that a few months ago, but I do not know if there is any effective action that can be taken to prevent such action. If there are no effective methods, can we warn people at certain spots that they are liable to be hurt?
MRS. HO (in English): Yes, Dr. WONG has mentioned this before and it is not a question of just heavy objects being thrown out, but any object and this was particularly discussed at the last meeting where we are trying to involve the community into greater enforcement and, with the Anti-Litter Wardens at low strength, this is how we can implement and increase vigilance.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Question No. 7, Mr. Peter C. K. CHAN.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the question was in fact asked last month and you thought the time is too limited and now I ask the question again.
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