XN000022-1986-10-30 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1986

SUCH A REVIEW, HE ADDED, WAS NOW IN HAND BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.

TURNING TO THE SUBJECT OF ADVERTISING SIGNBOARDS, MR CHENG SAID THERE WERE ABOUT A MILLION IN HONG KONG OVER WHICH THERE WAS VIRTUALLY NO CONTROL.

+ONLY WHEN A SIGN IS REPORTED TO BE IN A DANGEROUS CONDITION DOES GOVERNMENT REACT, HE SAID.

THE BOO HAD CERTAIN PROCEDURES FOR DEALING WITH SIGNBOARDS CONSIDERED DANGEROUS AND STATISTICS SHOWED THAT WORK IN CONNECTION WITH THIS WAS INCREASING DRAMATICALLY -- IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS THE NUMBER OF CASES HAD RISEN FROM 61 TO 546 AND THE NUMBER OF SIGNS REMOVED HAD GONE UP FROM 52 TO 258.

EMERGENCY REMOVALS ROSE FROM SEVEN IN 1981 TO 39 LAST YEAR.

MR CHENG SAID THE LANDS AND WORKS BRANCH WOULD BE COORDINATING AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL REVIEW TO EXAMINE REMOVAL PROCEDURES IN RESPECT OF OBSCENE OR INDECENT SIGNS TOGETHER WITH THE FEASIBILITY OF TIGHTER CONTROL OVER ADVERTISEMENT SIGNS, INCLUDING NON-DANGEROUS ONES.

THE REVIEW WAS LIKELY TO TAKE BETWEEN SIX AND NINE MONTHS.

MR CHENG ALSO REVEALED THAT AN OPERATION WAS SOON TO START IN EASTERN DISTRICT TO CLEAR ILLEGAL STRUCTURES OVER GAS MAINS IN BACK LANES.

AMONG 25 PRIVATE LANES WITH GAS MAINS AND ILLEGAL STRUCTURES FIVE HAD BEEN RECOMMENDED FOR IMMEDIATE REMEDIAL ACTION, IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT CLEARANCE OF THE FIVE LANES WOULD BE SPREAD OVER A PERIOD OF 18 MONTHS.

CIVIC EDUCATION VIEWS EXCHANGED AT BRIEFINGS

*****

MORE THAN 60 DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS RECENTLY ATTENDED TWO BRIEFING SESSIONS ORGANISED SPECIALLY FOR THEM BY THE COMMITTEE ON THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION.

DURING THE BRIEFINGS HELD AT THE OLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER ON TUESDAY AND TODAY (THURSDAY), CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, MRS RITA FAN, EXPLAINED IN DETAIL THE WORK OF THE COMMITTEE.

DISCUSSIONS CENTRED ON THE OBJECTIVES AND SCOPE OF CIVIC EDUCATION AS FORMULATED BY THE COMMITTEE, AND DISTRICTS' INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROMOTION OF CIVIC EDUCATION.

/ALSO SPEAKING