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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Rents, Arrangements for the Resiting of Business Tenancies and Management problems generally, have all been seen in the wards. The Housing Department have assured me that full consideration is given to every case referred, and speaking personally, I have found I have been able to assist in part or in whole, a large number of such cases with the co-operation of this Department.
DR. WONG (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, my question emphasizes how many cases on which we could not do anything and from the figures given the number of cases on housing is more than half of the total number. Mr. BERNACCHI also said that 2,400 cases were referred directly to the Housing Department by Members of the Council who are also members of the Housing Authority. Are there any Members who are not members of the Housing Authority who did the same thing?
MR. BERNACCHI (in English):-I think the answer is yes. There are some Members who are not members of the Housing Authority who do refer cases directly and not just refer the enquirer to the appropriate office of the Housing Department.
(8) DR. P. C. WONG asked the following question (in Cantonese):—
The environmental section spent 24 million dollars in educating the citizens from refraining from throwing litters etc. However, the community thought it was a big sum of money with regard to the achievements made. Can we:
(a) spend the money in a more specific way (monetary penalty not included here) instead of putting up bands and plays which may have a different impact so that participants may forget what the amusements are really aimed at?
(b) help the community to be more responsible for cleansing their own premises and their immediate adjacent surroundings monthly, to make "The Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign" more effective and less expensive?
MRS. GRACE HO, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—
In reply, I must first of all point out that of the 24 million dollars mentioned by Dr. WONG, 22 million dollars were spent by the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign from its start in 1972 until 31st March, 1976.
In the financial year 1st April, 1976 to 31st March, 1977 when I took over as chairman, the budget allotted to the Campaign was 1 million dollars. In fact, we spent only $520,000. During that year the activities were Clean Beach operations, sponsoring Health Education Speech and Song Contest, and Project Competition for Schools, Clean Buildings Exhibition and undertaking the Clean Building Competition as well as the Picnic Warden Scheme. In addition the Urban Services Department carried out a series of cleansing up operations on litter black spots. It was possible to reduce expenditure because of the heartening response from civic-minded commercial organizations and volunteers who contribute invaluable goods and services. H.E. The Governor, you yourself, Mr. Chairman as well as the Secretary of New Territories Administration gave their support by donating handsome trophies for the Clean Building Competition. This current financial year, the Council has allotted another million to the Campaign. The Clean Beach Campaign is now in full swing to coincide with the vast numbers of people flocking to the seashore to escape the summer heat. I repeat here my invitation to Council Members to join in and give their specific support. Later, in the year we will carry out District Clean-Ups of hawkers and market areas. I will be able to give further details to members as plans for projects are finalised.
In the meantime, through television and schools, we are continuing our publicity and educational work on the Campaign. Last month, I had reported on re-organization of anti-litter squads to make their work more effective and of our approaches to magistrates to increase the level of fines to litter bugs as a deterrent.
As to the second part of Dr. WONG's question, periodic clean-up operations such as District, Area, Multi-storey Building Clean-Ups are organized jointly by the Urban Services Department and the City District Officers with the assistance of kaifong leaders and voluntary workers are being carried out. I believe that this type of community involvement is, in the long term, likely to produce the right results.
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