HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
directions for consideration by Government. Of course, the Department will have to state difficulties faced. Government should consider legislating to compel developers to install collector systems for condensed water dripping in new buildings. Government should also consider urging flat owners to resolve the problem of dripping air conditioners through a process in the voluntary building inspection scheme soon to be implemented for buildings more than 20 years old.
Personally, I feel that in order to include all situations, one legislation alone will not solve the problem. We have therefore put in wording of a wider scope to urge authorities concerned to study into measures to solve the problem. On one hand, we need to take the professional advice of the Buildings Department; on the other, we want to reflect the difficulties faced by the Council in its daily work. Under such pretext, I feel that the wording of urging Government to study the matter is more satisfactory than that to compel by legislation. I hope Members will consider the case. The spirit we share in common is in support of the motion. Do we have to tie our own hands on the wording "legislate"?
Fellow Members, all of us want to have a direction with which to tackle the problem of dripping air conditioners. I hope there can be a solution through cooperation among departments. We do not want to bring in a seasonal wind of complaints one after the other every Summer in our newspapers. We do not want to hear of dripping air conditioners every Summer. The gist of the matter is to have the right department, district or Council to come up with a viable solution which will be followed up by the relevant department. I say again that this is the spirit of my motion. I look forward to your support. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—Thank you. I refer to Section 18 of the Standing Orders in closing the debate, deferring the motion and referring it to the relevant Select Committee. There is a mover and a seconder of the motion. Members have spoken on the motion and the original mover has exercised his right of reply...... Mr. LAI Hok-lim.
Mr. Lai Hok-LIM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I speak on a point of order.
Obviously, Mr. Christopher CHUNG Shu-kun holds a different understanding and opinion of the motion. As pointed out by Mr. WU Chi-wai, the last part of the motion reads 'Concurrently, the Council should urge the Government to examine measures, including requiring...'. The wording is 'including requiring', so it is not the only measure. As Mr. Wu has said, the dripping problem exists not only in new buildings, but also in existing buildings.
I do not think the motion should be referred back to the relevant Select Committee. My principle is that if Mr. CHUNG has different views on the
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