TNAG-1723-FCO40-2436-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 36

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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 13 January 1988

SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS: Yes, Sir, the Government has such plans recognising the potential danger of those signs, a new unit was established 1 April 1987-the Dangerous Signs Unit of the Buildings Ordinance Office.

This unit has moved fast. In addition to removing about 440 abandoned signs, the unit's action, which includes surveys, has resulted in the removal by voluntary means of a further I 000 potentially dangerous signs of various shapes and sizes and some which protrude into the road.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Sir, may I ask a couple of related supplementaries. Firstly, is there a large backlog and how long will it take for that backlog to be cleared? Furthermore, for any new genuine complaints, Sir, what would be the average time of clearance once that complaint has been received? I do realise that some of these complaints might be more serious than others but has any track record been established on that particular point?

SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND Works: No, Sir, there is no large backlog and I understand that on a dangerous sign action would be taken immediately, partly because there is no backlog, and would be completed within weeks.

MR. YEUNG: Sir, what action will the Government take to ensure that there will be no erection of dangerous signs in future and whether consideration can be given to prosecuting offenders responsible for such erection, if any?

SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS: Government is presently considering a package of measures designed to control the erection of dangerous signs. We are concentrating on danger; the package of measures is not yet ready, but there should be something through to the Executive Council within the next couple of months. I would like to emphasise that present procedures in fact are successfully protecting the public against the effect of dangerous signs and the present action being taken by the Dangerous Signs Unit is extremely effective in their removal.

MR. JACKIE CHAN (in Cantonese): Sir, if we look at the present situation it seems that there is no law stipulating that the owners of advertising signs have to demolish them if they are not required. Will the Government try to 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 extremly 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.