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Finally, further community participation will be promoted in the forthcoming Summer Fun Festival when special carnivals will be organized jointly with District Boards, and Members may rest assured that local community involvement will be fostered whenever the opportunity arises.
5. DR. KIM Y. S. CHAM asked the following question (in English): How does the Council prevent the spread of contagious disease in its swimming pools?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): This question concerns the measures being taken by Council to prevent the transmission of any contagious disease in its swimming pools.
In general, in Urban Council swimming pools, the water is constantly re-circulated for treatment during opening hours. Chlorine and suitable chemicals such as alum and soda ash are added during the process of water treatment.
The main objects of this treatment are:
(a) to remove bacteria and algae in the water to make it hygienic for swimming;
(b) to remove suspended matter to render the water clean;
(c) to maintain suitable alkalinity in the water so that the chlorine can effectively combat any diseases in the water.
The most common diseases that can be transmitted in swimming pool water are conjunctivitis and skin diseases such as fungal infections. However, the free residual chlorine in the pool water is always maintained at 1.0-1.2 parts per million parts and should destroy the infectious agents. The alkalinity of pool water is always maintained at an appropriate level for effective chlorination and complies with the standard prescribed by the World Health Organization.
Apart from regular water treatment, swimmers who appear to have communicable diseases are asked not to enter the Council's swimming pools. And, of course, swimming pool staff have the authority to ask suspected skin disease carriers to leave the pool as soon as they are detected.
DR. CHAM (in English): Mr. Chairman, in view of the fact that there are still no medicines to cure some of the recently developed diseases such as herpes, is the Council's present water treatment process sufficient to safeguard public health in this respect?
MR. LO (in English): Mr. Chairman, first of all, I have to say that I have no first-hand or expert knowledge of this particular topic. However, I have been advised that although it is theoretically possible for herpes to be transmitted in this way, i.e., by swimming in the swimming pool, it is highly improbable that it should happen and should anyone who is unfortunate enough to catch a dose, as it were, and should he try to tell me that he contracted the disease through swimming in an Urban Council swimming pool, I would flatly refuse to believe him. (laughter)
DR. CHAM (in English): Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to hear that the Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee has no first-hand knowledge of the disease, but however, as there is some public concern over the matter, will due publicity be given to assure the public that it is safe, upon the undertaking of the Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, to swim in our pools.
MR. LO (in English): Mr. Chairman, I certainly agree with Dr. CHAM that we should give good publicity to this particular point.
6. MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN asked the following question (in Cantonese): Since the Elected Urban Councillors have been elected on a constituency basis in March this year, what will be the Urban Council's future policy and implementation in respect of the promotion of good relationship and establishment of good liaison with the District Boards?
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE DISTRICT RELATIONS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question concerns Council's future policy regarding its relationship with District Boards and how this will be implemented so that good liaison with the Boards can be established.
From the outset, i.e., starting from the establishment of District Boards, the Council recognized that its interests and those of the District Boards were the interests of the people whom we both serve. In a sense, the District Boards are the formal representatives of the 'clients' for the majority of our services. We must never forget this. And so, it has always been the policy of the Council to establish good working relationships with all the District Boards, to support them whenever possible and to seek ways and means to improve liaison and co-operation with them. To this end, the District Relations Select Committee was established in April 1981 and has always had one of the largest memberships of Urban Councillors amongst the select committees. This indicates the very keen interest Councillors have in the work of the District Boards.
A representative of the City and New Territories Administration attends meetings of this Select Committee as an observer, the terms of reference of which are entirely related to District Boards and include 'to produce, and keep under review, an overall Urban Council policy on relations with District Boards.'
On every District Board, at least two of its Members are Urban Councillors who are able to relate the views of the Council to the District Boards and vice versa.
Regional Assistant Directors of the Urban Services Department also sit on District Boards as official members, and the working relationship between them
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