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PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
on the water quality after being soaked in the water for the whole night, before the idea could be followed up on. The issue can be referred to the Department for action.
Chairman (in Cantonese): —If there are no more questions, we will go back to Question 1.
(1) MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU asked (in Cantonese): A paper pointed out that the Lands Department has recently graded all slopes throughout the territory according to their safety levels in order to set priorities of their maintenance works. In this respect, I have the following questions:
(a) What are the implications of this move on the Council's services? (b) If the implementation of some of the Central Government's new policies leads to an increase in the Council's expenditure, what steps could the Council take to avoid being exploited financially?
MR. CHIANG SAI-CHEONG, Chairman of the Finance Select Committee, replied (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. WONG, for your question. Before responding to the question, which is in two parts, I would like to explain the background.
Ever since the establishment of the MUAC in 1973, arrangements have been in place to ensure that slopes on Council land are properly maintained. Slope maintenance is entrusted to Arch SD as part of the general property maintenance service and expenditure is budgeted for in the annual estimates. In 1998/99, expenditure on routine maintenance to existing slopes is in the region of $11.60 million.
At the same time of the Kwun Lung Lau incident in Kennedy Town in 1994, the number of slopes in the Council's maintenance register was 259. This number has now increased to 322. After inspection, Arch SD has confirmed that all these slopes are stable.
Following the Kwun Lung Lau incident in 1994, the Secretary for Works directed that all slopes in the territory should be examined by geotechnical engineers and in appropriate cases certain slopes should be re-assessed to ensure that their stability meets current engineering standards. Arch SD engaged consultants to undertake this exercise in respect of Council slopes and the fees payable in 1998/99 will amount to $19.70 million.
Also following the Kwun Lung Lau incident, the Government set up a new consultancy to re-catalogue all man-made slopes in the territory. In parallel with the re-cataloguing exercise, Lands Department and Geotechnical Engineering Office are conducting the 'Systematic Identification of the Maintenance Responsibility for all Slopes in the Territory' exercise (SIMAR), the results of which will be published progressively until mid-1999. The purpose of the SIMAR exercise is to determine the party responsible for
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