15
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1984
+AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, MY SENIOR STAFF AND ARE ENGAGED IN A CONTINUOUS ROUND OF VISITS TO DEPARTMENTS, DURING WHICH WE DISCUSS CURRENT ISSUES WITH STAFF REPRESENTATIVES, HE SAID.
MR ROWLANDS SAID THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT WAS PERHAPS THE QUALITY OF LEADERSHIP WHICH MOST AFFECTED THE MORALE OF THE SERVICE, AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE KEY ROLE WHICH HEADS OF DEPARTMENT WERE PLAYING IN PROVIDING THAT RESOLUTE LEADERSHIP WHICH THE STAFF BOTH LOOK FOR AND APPRECIATE.+
POLICY ON GAZETTED CEMETERIES EXPLAINED
****
THOUGH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY GENERALLY IS TO ENCOURAGE CREMATION, THERE ARE GAZETTED CEMETERIES AVAILABLE ON OUTLYING ISLANDS FOR BURIAL OF RESIDENTS, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON GEOFFREY BARNES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR BARNES WAS REPLYING TO THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG WHO WISHED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THE PROVISION OF BURIAL GROUNDS AND PUBLIC CEMETERIES ON OUTLYING ISLANDS.
BURIALS IN THESE CEMETERIES ARE SUBJECT TO THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY FOR A SIX-YEAR EXHUMATION CYCLE TO PROVIDE GRAVE SPACES FOR REUSE.
MR BARNES POINTED OUT THAT IN ADDITION, THERE ARE DESIGNATED BURIAL GROUNDS RESTRICTED TO THE BURIALS OF INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS AND LOCALLY BASED FISHERMEN WHO MAY ALSO BE BURIED IN THE GAZETTED CEMETERIES.
HE EXPLAINED THAT AS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES, IT IS UNLAWFUL FOR ANY BURIAL TO TAKE PLACE OUTSIDE A GAZETTED PUBLIC OR PRIVATE CEMETERY UNLESS IT IS AUTHORISED IN WRITING BY A DISTRICT OFFICER.
THIS AUTHORISATION IS GIVEN ONLY IN THE CASE OF INDIGENOUS VILLAGERS AND LOCALLY BASED FISHERMEN FOR BURIALS IN DESIGNATED BURIAL GROUNDS, HE ADDED.
THERE ARE THREE PUBLIC CEMETERIES SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF OUTLYING ISLANDS: THE CHEUNG CHAU CEMETERY CATERING FOR RESIDENTS ON CHEUNG CHAU, THE TAI O CEMETERY ON LANTAU FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE ISLAND DISTRICT AND THE WO HOP SHEK CEMETERY IN FANLING TO SERVE THE ENTIRE TERRITORY.
THERE ARE AT PRESENT 40 DESIGNATED BURIAL GROUNDS ON THE OUTLYING ISLANDS AND OTHER SITES ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION, HE SAID.
+RESTRICTING TRADITIONAL BURIALS TO DESIGNATED BURIAL GROUNDS ENSURES THAT THE GRAVES WILL BE READILY IDENTIFIABLE, THAT THEY WILL NOT INTERFERE WITH DEVELOPMENT AND WILL NOT CREATE HAPHAZARD ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS POLLUTION, SOIL EROSION, FIRE HAZARD AND SPOILING OF THE LANDSCAPE, MR BARNES EXPLAINED.
/16