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In other words, Hong Kong people are becoming more aware and more appreciative of the Urban Council as a whole but because of rising expectation, they are also more discerning in their assessment of performance.

The findings of the Second Benchmark Survey has indicated that the sustained PR efforts in the past two years, which included the use of outside PR consultants, can be helpful in developing both the awareness of the Council's services/facilities and the public impression towards the Urban Council. In this connection I would like to record thanks especially to our staff in the Public Information Unit and our PR consultants who have worked hard and well to assist us in developing and implementing last year's PR programme.

This year, 1993, is the 110th Anniversary of the Council. We will be utilizing this wonderful opportunity to develop a more distinct and caring image for the Council. It is important that the Council gain credit for its achievements which after all are paid for by the public, on the other hand, the public should continue to be better informed as to their range and availability.

In closing, I should point out that the higher regard in which the Urban Council and its services is held reflects improved standards of service provided by all of our colleagues of this Council and the Urban Services Department. Indeed, public relations can only gain credit for actual improvements and achievements. It is therefore important that this Council makes good use of the many findings and suggestions in this Survey which I recommend all my colleagues to read and then discuss the appropriate follow-up actions in the respective Select Committees.

Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.

MR. PAO PING-WING (in English): Mr. Chairman, 1992 has been a year of innovations for the Public Health Select Committee.

I hesitate to begin my report with toilet talks but credits must go to Chairman yourself, and member of the Working Group on Public Toilets for making a mark in the history of public convenience in Hong Kong. The Public Toilet Design Competition was an enormous success. As a start, the winning designs will be adopted for the reconstruction of the public toilets at popular spots. The refurbishment of ten toilets to the new standard has been completed and another fourteen within phase II will be opened for public use shortly. These facilities will greatly enhance public convenience.

On less 'personal' concerns, we have introduced incremental improvements to existing systems and practices. The Refuse Collection Vehicle fleet has been renewed to reduce nuisance which, coupled with the adoption of auto-cleaning and smell-reduction devices in the Refuse Collection Points, would ensure that Urban Council as a waste collection authority will maintain a perfectly clean image.

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Polluted seafood and contaminated vegetables are formidable health hazards which the public should be helped to overcome or avoid. To this end we have invited the Chinese University to undertake research studies on the effects of keeping fish in polluted sea water and the method of cleaning and removing residual pesticides in contaminated vegetables. Findings will elucidate on the appropriate advice to be given to the public.

To tackle the problem of contaminated vegetables at source, we had met the Chinese authorities across the border and discussed with the officials concerned to prevent the inadvertent importation of contaminated vegetables into Hong Kong.

As much as the efforts to improve routine cleaning, licensing, and enforcement operations, the Public Health Select Committee has been equally devoted to arouse hygiene consciousness among restaurant operators and members of the public. The campaign which comprised health education, publicity and blitz enforcement actions, for example, had brought about noticeable improvements in the hygiene conditions of licensed food premises. I believe this area of work should continue in the coming year to ensure that the effect is sustained.

Public health education was a favourite and rightly so. Two large-scale promotional events, the Restaurant Hygiene Competition and the Hong Kong Healthy Family Contest, were held with all the sounds and colours they intended to create and above all, with the success in cultivating hygiene messages within the community. The grand finale for the year, the Mega Health Education Carnival, will be held in Victoria Park with the assistance of some 14 major organizations in the health and medical fields.

Having weaved a generally complacent year, the Public Health Select Committee has not been as successful in its lobbying for the use of incineration as part of a comprehensive plan for waste disposal. We are deeply concerned with Government's decision to use landfill as the sole means of waste disposal in blatant disregard to its long-term harmful consequences on the total environment. After inspecting incinerators in operation in many advanced and busy cities including Singapore, Tokyo and Vancouver, we are satisfied that modern incinerators could be environmentally-friendly. Used in conjunction with landfills, incineration would prolong the life of landfills, defer their harmful actions on the environment, and make the maximum use of scarce land resources. The Council has already made its stance clear in the Motion Debate held on 8 December 1992. I earnestly hope that Government would reconsider its decision and try to realize our 'New Year' wish for 1993.

If I am allowed to be greedy, I would like to take today's opportunity to make a second 'New Year' wish. Under the Memorandum of Administrative Arrangements, Urban Council is not allowed to redevelop its existing premises jointly with private developers. Many of the Council's facilities occupy prime sites in commercially thriving locations. It would yield additional resources to subsidize the Council's multifarious activities if private developers are allowed to join hands with the Council in redeveloping these sites. Most of the Council's

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