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DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question is in two parts. The first part seeks information on the Council's action and future plans for educating citizens to keep the city clean; and the second part concerns the Council's co-operation with the Environmental Protection Agency to keep the city free from noise, air and water pollution.
In reply to the first part of the question, the Council has an on-going programme to keep Hong Kong clean. Progress is monitored by the Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee. Apart from a six-phased schedule of campaign activities planned to continue throughout the year, covering in turn housing estates, residential blocks, villages, squatter areas, the countryside and beaches by physical clean-up operations backed up by publicity through TV API, TV and radio interviews, press releases, campaign posters and pamphlets, other publicity strategies are also adopted to promote a sense of self-discipline and civic-mindedness through personal involvement. Towards this end, special activities are organized through the Year-end Clean-up Drive before the Chinese New Year, the Auxiliary Litter Warden Scheme to work at target beaches in summer, and the Community Involvement Badge Scheme jointly organized with the Scouts Association. In addition, a self-cleansing scheme for squatter villages has also been planned to promote a sense of community involvement.
In co-operation with the Education Department, the Council has drawn up health education programmes aiming at stimulating the awareness of students on the importance of keeping the environment clean through a series of teaching and participation schemes such as the School Health Education Speech and Song Contests and the School Health Education Project Exhibition Competition. A Clean School Competition is also being organized to enhance the civic-mindedness of the younger generation.
In planning for the future, the Council co-ordinates through the Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee all activities aimed at improving the general cleanliness of the city and changing the litter-creating habits of the populace at large. An appeal to the public through the issue of a notice to rate-payers is being considered and consultation with concerned government departments is in progress on this.
As regards the second part of the question, the Council is the authority for the control of noise nuisances from air-conditioning and ventilating systems under Section 12(1)(h) of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, in exercise of which authority district health inspectors deal with simple and straight-forward cases, and the Noise and Vibration Control Unit of the Municipal Services Branch deals with complicated cases which require detailed investigation.
Notwithstanding that control of air and water pollution are not within the jurisdiction of the Council, in co-operation with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Council acts under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance to abate nuisances relating to, inter alia, the emission of dust, fumes or effluvia, and Council also takes appropriate steps to monitor water quality, particularly at bathing beaches through regular sampling and sanitary surveys. In general, there is much scope for close liaison and mutual support between the E.P.A. and the Council in the implementation of effective measures to keep the city reasonably free from environmental pollution.
Council has agreed to transfer to the Environmental Protection Agency responsibility for water quality monitoring at public beaches, and has agreed in principle to transfer enforcement responsibility in respect of noise nuisance to the same Agency when the Noise Control Ordinance is passed into law.
I have no doubt, however, that even after these functions are transferred, the Council will continue to cooperate very closely with the Environmental Protection Agency in order to maintain the best quality of service to the public.
(Mr. PAO Ping-wing and Miss Cecilia L. Y. YEUNG arrived at this point-2.35 p.m.)
MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):-On the question of educating the younger generation to keep Hong Kong clean, I think as far as the activities are concerned, they are not that effective, or the result is not effective. So I would like to know whether we are now satisfied with the sort of educational programmes we now have, or do we have any plans to review such activities or programmes? We know at present that public places and also at the beaches as well as country parks, of course, country parks are not within our jurisdiction, but I understand that many young people used to go to these public places and after weekends, quite a lot of such places are found littered, so it appears to me that we do not have an effective educational programme, so I would like to know what sort of plans we have in reviewing the educational programme?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, on the effectiveness of the Clean Hong Kong Campaign, of course, we all have our own viewpoints. In fact, I have read from the newspapers that our students are very clean because they are in the habit of finding a litter bin to throw away rubbish when they are using the ferry to cross the harbour, so we must not blame the students for littering our city alone. Of course, Mr. CHAN is in a teaching profession, he is an educationalist, so I am sure it is possible for him to raise his viewpoints at the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
MR. LAU (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, at the Statue Square in Central during weekends, the whole place is littered, so I want to know from Dr. HUANG whether we have any educational programme in mind?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I understand that we had been taken out action to persuade the Filipino maids to help to keep our city clean and we even attempted to write out our slogans in Tagalog, of course, we agreed
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