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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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enough, or whether we should study deeper into how work can be done more effectively.
MR. JOSEPH Chan Yuek-Sut (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman. I thank Mr. WONG for his questions. As a matter of fact, the joint Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee of the two municipal councils has been stepping up work in past years and reviews have been carried out too. I hope Members present can give more opinions on improvement measures for the reference of the Committee. In spite of our efforts, the prosecution figures have continued to increase.
The increase can be viewed from two angles. One takes into consideration the increase of our population. We have stepped up prosecution, publicity and education at places where many Filipina maids gather. The other thing is that we have stepped up publicity targeted at new immigrants from the Mainland. We want to integrate them into society so that they can be taught the habit of not throwing litter around and to form the habit of keeping clean. We intend to step up publicity on this front by setting up large advertisement light boxes at the border check-points to remind people not to litter and keep clean. We have also asked the Department to distribute leaflets at the airport entrance to remind people to keep Hong Kong clean.
On the level of school education, efforts have been directed at cooperation on the district level. Under the district assistance scheme currently in place, we hope to secure the cooperation of various districts and urge different bodies to apply for funds to educate the public. We allocate $80,000 each year to each District Board to sponsor their keep Hong Kong clean work. We are pulling our efforts together on many fronts to strengthen the work.
On the other hand, rise in prosecution figures has to do with our new authorization policy. About 1,500 members of the Hawker Control Officer grade are now authorized to issue Form 1A. In other words, more people are put on the job, and this may be the cause for increased prosecution figures.
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—From the Chairman of the Select Committee. I learn that 13,749 litter offenders were prosecuted up to the end of October, but I find the littering situation within the urban area serious. I think there is much to be desired and I am sure prosecution work alone will not be an effective deterrent.
I notice from paragraph 6 of Mr. CHAN's reply that a total of 2,644 people are authorized to prosecute litter offenders, but that they are responsible for specialized jobs in their own fields. In other words, prosecuting litter bugs is not their primary duty, they only prosecute when they see litter offenders in their daily work. The reply emphasizes that they have to fulfill their own duties first, making the prosecution of litter bugs a secondary duty,
I think such an arrangement will lead to problem in setting priorities and will not attain the deterrent effect on litter offenders. Can I find out from the
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