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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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for additional resources in each year so that improvement can be made. Although the Urban Council wish to allocate funds to the Department of Health, however, the Finance Branch may restrict the UC allocation to a certain percentage. As a result, though we think that a certain kind of service needs improvement and allocate fund for it, the Finance Branch may prevent the Department from taking the resources from the Council for that particular purpose. That is where the problem lies. I would like to ask whether the Public Health Select Committee is aware of this and whether this has ever resulted in the Department of Health's failure to meet the UC's targets for improvement of services funded by us, (e.g. checking of contaminated vegetables and contaminated food.) so that there is a need to strengthen the facilities in this respect.
Mr. Joseph CHAN Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the Hon. Li Wah-ming is correct. At the meetings of the then Food Hygiene Select Committee, the Chairman had mentioned similar situations where the Finance Branch did not approve the allocation of funds, as a result, the Department of Health could not take the money and spend it on the work required even though the Urban Council was willing to allocate fund. Therefore, as I have mentioned just now, besides the allocation of funds by the Urban Council, approval by the Central Government is also needed and sometimes the obstruction may come from the Central Government. Hence, the Department of Health hopes that the two Municipal Councils can give them support on issues that concern food hygiene such as the discovery of contaminated vegetables at Man Kam To. The Food Control Office at Man Kam To has come into operation for the checking of imported vegetables. As there is a shortage of Health Inspectors, the Department of Health needs the Urban Council's provision of funds, support and staff as well as the Central Government's approval of funds. The Department hopes that Members of the two Municipal Councils will urge the Central Government to approve the allocation of funds and that the LEGCO Members and Council's representative at the Finance Committee will also render their support.
THE HON. LI Wah-ming (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, if the mechanism is like that, has the Council taken any step to bring out the problem to the Central Government, or at least to the Financial Secretary? Such bureaucratic structure of the Government would restrain the services of the Council. I would like to know whether the Council is doing anything in this regard.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I think this is an in-depth question which should be discussed at the meetings of the Public Health Select Committee and requires more background information. In fact, in respect of resources provided to the Department of Health, the Urban Council has arranged the provision of staff and office accommodation so not much cash expenditure is involved. For the Food Control Centre at Man Kam To, the Council would also provide fund and staff. The Council has indeed provided sufficient
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