XN000022-1994-10-12 — Page 32

10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1994

AND

WE HAVE GIVEN A PUBLIC ASSURANCE THAT WE WILL BE OPEN TRANSPARENT. THUS FAR WE HAVE PUBLISHED OUR INITIAL REPORT ON THE INVESTIGATION AND THE RELATED REPORTS FROM THE HOUSING SOCIETY CONSULTANTS. WE WILL ALSO PUBLISH IN FULL OUR FINAL FINDINGS AS WELL AS PROFESSOR MORGENSTERN'S INDEPENDENT REPORT. I DO NOT SEE FULL TRANSPARENCY TO BE A PROBLEM. ALL RELEVANT PUBLIC BODIES AND OFFICERS ARE AVAILABLE TO CO-OPERATE FULLY WITH LEGCO MEMBERS NO MATTER WHETHER THEY ARE AUTHORIZED UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) ORDINANCE OR NOT.

THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS HAVE TODAY RESTATED THE VIEWS WHICH WERE PUT FORWARD IN CONNECTION WITH A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY.

THE CAUSES OF THE PREVENTED.

LANDSLIP AND WHETHER IT COULD HAVE BEEN

LEGISLATION, POLICY AND

THE ADEQUACY OF OUR EXISTING

RESOURCES.

THE ADEQUACY OR OTHERWISE OF CONTINGENCY MEASURES FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.

ANY IMPROVEMENT AND REMEDIAL MEASURES THAT COULD BE

ADOPTED ΤΟ PREVENT THE RECURRENCE AND IDENTIFYING THOSE

WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

I BELIEVE THAT THE SELECT COMMITTEE, IF APPOINTED, WOULD INDEED TASKED TO ENQUIRE INTO THESE SIMILAR CONCERNS AND IN THIS THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS MAY BE HELPFUL.

BE

REGARD,

FAILURE,

AS ΤΟ THE FIRST CONCERNS I.E. THE CAUSE OF THE PARTIES RESPONSIBLE AND IMPROVEMENT MEASURES TO BE ADOPTED, IT WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ADDRESS THESE PROPERLY WITHOUT THE FULL TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION REPORT. HENCE THE DECISION BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL то AWAIT THE REPORT BEFORE DECIDING ON A COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY. THIS IS NOT A STALLING TACTIC. IT ADDRESSES THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION, WHILE UTILISING THE BEST AVAILABLE EXPERTISE TO DEAL WITH THIS FIRST CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STAGES OF THE ENQUIRY INTO THIS MATTER.

IN

AS TO THE ADEQUACY OF THE LEGISLATION, POLICY AND RESOURCES THE PREVENTION OF LANDSLIPS, THE WORKS BRANCH IS CURRENTLY OVERSEEING A FOCUSED REVIEW INTO THESE MATTERS. THIS IS BEING COMPLETED WITH SEPARATE RESOURCES, THAT IN PARALLEL WITH THE TECHNICAL INVESTIGATION, AND I WILL BE PLEASED TO REPORT TO MEMBERS ON THE OUTCOME OF OUR REVIEW, WITH AS MUCH DETAIL AS MEMBERS REQUIRE. I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT DEPARTMENTAL REVIEWS OF SLOPE SAFETY POLICY HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN AT VARIOUS TIMES SINCE THE 1980S. FURTHERMORE IT IS CLEARLY A MATTER OF RECORD THAT SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING OFFICE, THERE HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SAFETY OF SLOPES. AS TO THE ADEQUACY OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY USING, THIS WILL BE TOUCHED UPON IN OUR REVIEW AND I WILL BRING THIS TO OUR HONOURABLE MEMBERS FOR THEIR CAREFUL CONSIDERATION IN DUE COURSE.

/ON THE