XN000022-1995-05-10 — Page 59

(b)

(c)

36

An average of eight telephone lines is available for each government enquiry hot-line. Over the past six months, these hot-lines handled a total of about 117,200 calls from the public each day, with an average of 140 calls per day for each telephone line.

The performance of government hot-lines has been improved considerably with the introduction of automated telephone answering systems, in particular the Interactive Voice Response System. Departments will continue to keep under constant review the possibility of installing modern communication devices and making other improvements to enhance the services provided by the enquiry hot-lines. 17 government departments have already included hot-line services in their performance pledges and the Efficiency Unit will encourage others to follow suit whenever practicable.

End/Wednesday, May 10, 1995

Measures to prevent landslips

Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan Wai-yip and a written reply by the Secretary for Works, Mr James Blake, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

As the rainy season has set in, and landslips occurred again on 19 April 1995 because of the heavy rain, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

(b)

what measures, apart from undertaking systematic slope inspections and maintenance, the government departments concerned will take to prevent the occurrence of landslips and thus casualties and what emergency procedures are in place to deal with such accidents; and

whether such measures and procedures have been formulated in the light of the experience gained in the Kwun Lung Lau landslips?

+