THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1983
SIR PHILIP VISITS NT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
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THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, THIS AFTERNOON VISITED THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT IN TAI PO AND NORTH DISTRICTS.
ACCOMPANYING SIR PHILIP ON THE TOUR WERE THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR JOHN HEYWOOD; THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES MR BOWEN LEUNG; THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (OPERATIONS) OF NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES, MR ARTHUR JOHNSON; THE URBAN SERVICES OFFICER OF TAI PO. MR PONG KIN-HONG; AND THE URBAN SERVICES OFFICER OF NORTH DISTRICT, MR LAW WAI-MING.
SIR PHILIP FIRST VISITED THE CO-OPERATIVE FOR AMERICAN RELIEF EVERYWHERE (CARE) VILLAGE IN TAI PO TO INSPECT THE CLEANSING SERVICES CONTRACTED OUT TO THE LOCAL VILLAGE REPRESENTATIVE.
HE WAS TOLD THAT THIS SCHEME WAS BEING TRIED OUT IN SEVEN VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, AS PART OF THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN. IT WAS AIMED AT PROMOTING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AMONG RESIDENTS IN PROVIDING CLEANSING SERVICES FOR THEIR OWN VILLAGES.
SIR PHILIP WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACTOR WAS MONITORED BY AN INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT TEAM OF MEMBERS OF THE TAI PO DISTRICT BOARD, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE (TAI PO) AND THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
SIR PHILIP, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE CLEAN HONG KONG CAMPAIGN, OBSERVED THAT THE GENERAL STANDARD OF CLEANLINESS IN THE VILLAGE WAS HIGH AND THAT THE CLEANSING WORKERS, WHO WERE LOCAL VILLAGERS, CARRIED OUT THEIR DUTIES EFFICIENTLY,
SIR PHILIP NEXT VISITED THE NTSD VEHICLE DEPOT ON PLOVER COVE ROAD, TAI PO. HE NOTED THAT NTSD OPERATES A FLEET OF 389 VEHICLES, 226 OF WHICH ARE SPECIALLY FOR CLEANSING WORK, FROM SIX DEPOTS.
SIR PHILIP WAS ALSO BRIEFED ON THE COLLECTION OF REFUSE AND JUNK TOTALLING ABOUT 960 TONNES A DAY AND OTHER MECHANICAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE NTSD.
SIR PHILIP THEN WENT TO SEE THE TAI PO TEMPORARY MARKET. THE MARKET WAS OPENED IN MAY THIS YEAR TO ACCOMMODATE 433 MARKET, MINI-STALL AND COOKED FOOD OPERATORS FORMERLY TRADING AT PO YICK HAWKER BAZAAR WHICH HAD TO BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW TOWN DEVELOPMENT.
HE NEXT STOPPED AT A SECTION OF THE RIVER INDUS AT WANG SHAN KEUK VILLAGE IN NORTH DISTRICT FOR A BRIEFING ON WATER-COURSE CLEARANCE OPERATIONS.
/THE MAJOR ******