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310
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):- Ladies and gentlemen, the meeting is now in session.
1 CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES HELD ON 11 NOVEMBER 1996
The minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 1996 were confirmed.
[PAPER LAID]
The following paper was laid - Report to the Urban Council by the Secretary, Urban Council for the month of November 1996.
III QUESTIONS
(1) MR. JOSEPH LAI CHI-KEONG asked the following question (in Cantonese):-
(a) How many existing Urban Council Facilities, including multi-storey buildings where people congregate such as public markets, civic centres and Urban Council complexes, were completed before 1973 and still do not comply with the latest fire services requirements stipulated in the Buildings Ordinance, Cap. 123, especially with regard to the installation of automatic sprinkling system?
(b) If there are Urban Council facilities not meeting the latest fire services requirements, has the Urban Services Department adopted any corresponding contingency measures or acquired additional fire fighting equipment to ensure the safety of staff and citizens therein? Also, has the Department drawn up any timetable for installing automatic sprinkling system in these facilities?
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):- Mr. LAI's question, which is in two parts, relates to fire safety provisions in older UC buildings constructed prior to 1973.
(a) To answer the first part of the question, there are about 40 multi-storey buildings which were constructed in compliance with the pre-1973 fire safety regulations. Apart from City Hall and the Urban Council Chambers, the remainder mainly comprise markets, museums and public swimming pools, generally 2 or 3 storeys high. The list also includes the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir and related staff quarters. All UC buildings comply with the building and fire safety regulations current at the time of construction. Those constructed before 1973
Page 268 of 498
Page 268 of 498
Page 268 of 498