TNAG-1723-FCO40-2436-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 123

5

MR. JACKIE CHAN (in Cantonese)

situation

that it seems

Sir, if we

there is no

look at the

law

present

stipulating that the owners of advertising signs have to

demolish them if they are

try

to

not required. Will the

Government

step up the control and introduce

regulations to ensure that a licence has to be obtained

before a signboard is erected?

SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS : Sir, we are not presently

considering a licensing system because it would involve an

enormous machinery. The difficulty about abandonment is,

of course, that it no longer has an owner at that

particular stage and so it has been extremely difficult in

fact to get back the expenses from the original owners.

I believe that in the present situation of Hong Kong with

so very many signs, Government is right to concentrate on

safety.

MR. NGAI : Sir, in case of accidents caused by abandoned

signboards, who will be held liable if the original owners

cannot be found and how will the

of those

signboards

victims be compensated?

•