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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
'RESOLVED that the Cremation and Gardens of Remembrance (Urban Council) (Amendment) By-laws 1991, the Public Cemeteries (Urban Council) (Amendment) By-laws 1991, and the Exhumation (Fees) (Urban Council) By-laws 1991, be made under sections 124E, 116 and 118(5) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
He said (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee, I rise to move the motion in my name.
The Cremation and Gardens of Remembrance (Urban Council) (Amendment) By-laws 1991, the Public Cemeteries (Urban Council) (Amendment) By-laws 1991, and the Exhumation (Fees) (Urban Council) By-laws 1991 made under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance now before the Council will, when adopted, increase the fees for cremation in Government crematoria, interment in public cemeteries and grant of permission to exhume remains in the Urban Council area.
The existing fees for such services were last revised in 1989. The purposes of this fee revision are to (a) maintaining as far as possible parity of fees charged in both Council areas (except for burials), (b) reducing Council's subsidy and (c) maintaining a balanced use of services and facilities.
The increases have been carefully considered by the Public Health Select Committee, the Finance Select Committee and the Standing Committee of the Whole Council, and I am satisfied that due weight has been given to all implications of the proposal.
Sir, I beg to move.
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, seconded the motion (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I am far from satisfied with Dr. Ronald Leung's speech. He apparently expects too much of this Council. I have always understood that the increase of fees is basically to keep in step with the increase in the cost of living which equally applies to the cost of dying. That has not even been enumerated as one of his objects. He says maintaining possible parity of fees, but I don't care whether that is so or not. We are the Urban Council and the urban area, what the Regional Council does in the Regional Council area is up to them. 'Reducing the Council's subsidy', does he mean by that in fact he is taking account of the increase in the cost of living, I don't know? And 'maintaining a balanced use of services and facilities', whatever he means by that, I don't know. So, I am sorry, far from satisfied, not with the proposed increase which might well be acceptable, but with his speech in introducing this motion, I consider all speeches in introducing motions to increase fees ought to be clearly spelt out why it is at this time necessary to do so?
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MR. JASON K. Y. YUEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I intend to concur with my colleague Mr. BERNACCHI's speech. As I spoke during the last Standing Committee of the Whole Council meeting, I did raise the point that 60% of the increase especially on the cost of cremating the dead appears to be higher than the general inflation rate of the colony. I think one should consider also the fact that this extent of increase will badly hit the unfortunate families who would have to face the distress of both losing the deceased as well as the disposal of the dead. Thank you.
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I do agree with what Mr. BERNACCHI has just said that 60% does seem to be rather high. But I suppose both the Department and the Select Committee have gone into this thoroughly and they have from a financial point of view found it justifiable and the only morale I can gauge from this is that it is still better to live than to die.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English): Mr. Chairman, may I have the privilege to clarify such points? Firstly, in the formal motion such as this, it would be cumbersome to go into all the details. Since the committee paper and this decision has gone through various Select Committees, especially the Finance Select Committee chaired by Mr. BERNACCHI and also in the Standing Committee of the Whole Council, I am very surprised as no opinions were made at various stages of deliberations and in the formal motion like this, such queries will come up, but I would explain queries raised by Mr. BERNACCHI first. As stated very clearly in the second paragraph, the purposes of this fee revision are three-fold. Firstly, to maintain as far as possible parity of fees charged in both Council areas. The parity I mean is that at the Urban Council, we charge $800 for example for one cremation, whereas the Regional Council area charges $650. So there is a little difference, we are not following the schedule of the Regional Council, we have our own independent right of making a decision. But I think to fairness of all the citizens either in the territory or in the urban area, the fees should not be too much different. The second purpose of revising this fee is to reduce Council's subsidy. I think the Council's policy is to reduce subsidy below 50% in all our functions and activities. Now, with this fee revision, the subsidy level will be about 30%, so we are towards that direction, but have still not yet reached our goal. The third point I raise is to maintain a balanced use of services and facilities. This fee revision was reviewed in 1989 and I think if we leave it untouched for a long time, then after a number of years, the fee increase will be very huge and the percentage rise because of the low base will be very shocking to the public. So, it is also the Council's policy to review the fees regularly at periodic intervals, one or two years intervals. To balance use of services is to increase the fees for Urban Council area, a little bit higher than the Regional Council area, so that if the poor relatives still can have a choice for their dead to have cremations in the New Territories for a cheaper price. I think the purposes of these fee increases would be explained in this way. All these other points will also answer Mr. Jason YUEN's queries and also Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN's questions.
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