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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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wainy season? I hope to urge, through the Chairman, the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee to give us a reply.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, it is true to say that the reply on the causes of flooding cannot satisfy colleagues. Neither this Council nor the Department can give a full reply to this question. We all know what other departments, particularly the Drainage Services Department and the Territory Development Department, are involved as well.
On whether we can do more before the arrival of the rainy season, Mr. Chairman, we clear rubbish on our streets every day, not just before the rainy season. For example, we clean manholes once a fortnight and blackspot manholes once a week. Some manholes are cleaned manually, others by the side of express roads are cleaned by specially equipped suction vehicles of the Department. We put 36 drain cleaning teams on the job during the rainy season. Each team comprises a supervisor and 4 workmen. They patrol all streets within their area and pay special attention to cleaning near drain inlets.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): Are there any more follow-up questions? If not, we proceed to item no. 4 on the agenda. This is a motion on the Urban Council Ordinance. The first motion will be moved by me.
IV. MOTIONS
(1) THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL moved the following motion:
RESOLVED that the 1996-1997 Urban Council Annual Report be approved.
He said (in Cantonese): I rise to move the motion standing in my name for the approval of the 1996/97 Urban Council Annual Report.
The 1996/97 Urban Council Annual Report recorded the work and achievements of the Council during the year from 1.4.1996 to 31.3.1997.
In accordance with Section 48 of the Urban Council Ordinance, the Annual Report should be forwarded to the Chief Executive together with the audited account. The audited account is expected to be tabled at the Council's Monthly Meeting in October and I, as Chairman of the Provisional Urban Council, will forward the two reports to the Chief Executive. As such, the Annual Report which you all have a copy in hand is only for your reference at this stage. It would only be distributed to the other parties concerned and be open for sale in the market after a copy has been forwarded to the Chief Executive.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the editorial board, which is chaired by Mr. CHAN Choi-hi, for all the constructive ideas
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