TNAG-1609-FCO40-22131-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 148

w

2

of this increasing pressure we have been successful in

some areas in not only preventing deterioration but

achieving improvements. For example, despite an increase

10 years, of 65 in fossil fuel consumption over the last decade,

careful environmental management has led to a 50 decrease

in the concentration of sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere.

per cent

per cen

بتر

I should point out also that the Environmental

Protection Department was established as recently as April

last year. The pepartment's establishment has

+

nowincreased significantly, but much of this increase

represents a transfer of functions from other parts of the

Government, and over the past few years the average annual

increase in the total number of staff employed on

environmental control duties has only been about 7. In

addition, recruitment of suitably qualified staff has not

proved easy. Moreover, many of the regulations have only

been made during the last two years, and some of them are

not yet in full operation. In a situation like this, we

cannot really expect immediate dramatic changes, but we

should begin to see steady improvements in the near

future, and the deterioration of the environment, which is

the result of many years of relative neglect, should be

reversed; but it will not be quick or easy.

A.

se k

.

Professor POON and Richard LAI stressed the

importance of proper environmental planning. We do

l

سلام

ee