TNAG-1855-FCO40-2630-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 120

HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL -15 March 1989

香港立法局—————

一九八九年三月十五日

Second Reading of Bills

72

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MUNICIPAL SERVICES (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) BILL 1989

THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS moved the Second Reading of: "A Bill to amend the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance".

He said: Sir, I move the Second Reading of the Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 1989.

The Government's primary concern in respect of the control of advertisement signs is to reduce the risk of death and injury caused by potentially dangerous signs.

Under the present law, the Director of Buildings and Lands is required to locate the owner of a dangerous sign and serve a notice on him before it can be removed even in urgent cases. It is only when the owner cannot be readily located that the director can take any immediate remedial actions such as demolition. Very often it is not easy to identify the owner of a dangerous sign within a short period of time and serve a notice. But in urgent cases, the dangerous sign really ought to be removed without any delay. So clause 2(c) of the Bill gives the Director of Buildings and Lands the power to take such remedial actions immediately.

Clauses 2(b) and 2(d) of the Bill seek to empower the Director of Buildings and Lands under section 105 of the Ordinance to remove or dispose of the remaining materials after a sign has been removed. Strangely enough, the director does not have this power at present.

The opportunity is also taken to include in this Bill several miscellaneous amendments primarily to reflect the present position that the Director of Buildings and Lands, rather than the two municipal councils, is the authority for the control of dangerous advertisement signs.

This Amendment Bill, if enacted, will strengthen the Government's control over potentially dangerous advertisement signs, thereby reducing the risk of death and injury posed by these to the general public.

Sir, I move that the debate be now adjourned.

Question on adjournment proposed, put and agreed to.

Page 120Page 121