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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MINUTES.

The Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 5th November, 1957, were confirmed.

PAPERS.

THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:

(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of November, 1957.

(2) Report on changes in membership of Select Committees.

QUESTIONS.

MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question

"To what extent does the Urban Council have a say in the installation of street lamps in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon (a) in streets and roads; and (b) in parks, playgrounds and roadside view-plots?"

THE CHAIRMAN tabled the following written reply :-

"The street lighting programme is co-ordinated by the Director of Public Works for submission to the Government. Lighting in public parks, playgrounds and roadside plots is carried out as part of the street lighting programme. In drawing up the programme, the Director of Public Works consults the Council on lighting required for parks, etc."

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I ask a supplementary question, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN:-Certainly.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Do I understand from the reply that this Council has no say concerning the provision of lighting in streets and roads?

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Mr.

CHAIRMAN:-Yes, that is approximately the case, Cheong-leen. I should qualify that reply by stating that where this Council has special interests, for example the need of lighting areas for the purposes of scavenging, that kind of consideration is put forward to the Director of Public Works and in my experience is always given due weight.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I ask a further supplementary question Mr. Chairman? In view of the fact that this Council is responsible for street cleaning, for conservancy, in urban areas in Hong Kong and Kowloon with a population of approximately two million people, and in view of my feeling that this Council does not have any say, or perhaps does not have a sufficiently large enough say, in the street lighting programme, I would like to request the Chairman, to seek his assurance on this point, that the substance of my question will be put on the agenda of the next Committee of the Whole.

CHAIRMAN:-I am glad to place any matter on the agenda for any meeting. I cannot, however, accept the implication that the say in these matters is not sufficient. Indeed I have said in my answer to the first supplementary question that in my opinion the say we have is adequate and that our recommendations are given due weight.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I ask a further supplementary question, Mr. Chairman? Perhaps it is not possible to have a full discussion of this matter in open Council meeting and I seek your assurance that this will be discussed at the next Committee of the Whole.

CHAIRMAN:-Yes, I give that assurance freely.

MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question :-

"Will the Chairman refer to the Health Education Select Committee the question of indiscriminate dumping of refuse and human excreta in the streets with the recommendation that consideration be given to a "Keep Your City Clean Week" campaign as matter of urgency?"

CHAIRMAN:-The answer to question No. 2 is yes, sir, to the extent that I shall be glad to ask the Committee in question to consider the point raised. I would prefer not to accompany that

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