Page 117 of 139
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Revision Select Committee to give more adequate protection to the public, the implementation of the principles of the Hawkers' Report, the management of City Hall, car park, swimming pools, bathing beaches and cemeteries, the supervision of 50 acres, in addition to the 137 acres of public parks, playgrounds and rest gardens. Finally, the ever pressing problem of maintaining strict control on rodents and other pests, as mosquitoes, flies and bed bugs (last year 278,980 rats were destroyed). We cannot afford to have any weak link in the chain of round-the-clock services. So it is imperative that the needed extra 1,490 personnel must be employed for increased administrative, professional and technical work.
Despite almost insuperable difficulties the Resettlement Department showed a balanced budget. Work of the Department has to be built. To cope with its expansion and to ensure the smooth-running of its day to day duties, the need for an adequate staff is vital and must be met. Besides the usual duties, the staff is ever ready to handle any new attempts at squatting on rooftops and Crown Lands. This work cannot and must not be relaxed.
Having served in all three Select Committees, I have gained a deep insight, an on the spot knowledge of the urgency of creating at least 500 new posts to resettle hundreds of thousands of squatters, to contain the present squatters until they could be resettled.
With a balanced budget I urge that Government should give us an overall approval to enable the respective Department to continue the vital task of clearing sites for the erection of Resettlement Blocks and thereby providing more land for much needed factories, schools and low cost housing.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting the Draft Estimates before us.
Dr. R. H. S. LEE:—I welcome this opportunity to speak on the analysis of the draft Estimates which is tabled to-day because any revision thereof affects the tax-payer's money. Although the Council render a multitude of duty to the public it is important to see that these services justify the expenditure. From the analysis alone it appears that with certain exceptions most sections show some increases in personnel and in the case of the Hawker Control Force, a new body is created altogether. I hope these
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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increases and the reorganization of the Department mentioned by you, Mr. Chairman, will materially contribute towards greater efficiency and better services rendered to the public, and discharging the increased duties of the Council.
Mr. Chairman, from our contacts with the public we are in the position to assess fairly accurately the public reaction to all aspects of the Council's work. I must say that I am favourably impressed by the large numbers of people in favour of the Council's general policy towards a better and cleaner Hong Kong, and by their progressive outlook towards more effective anti-mosquito control and a greater measure of sanitation in respect to our secondary streets. In view of certain complaints from restaurant owners we must strive for an even better machinery to facilitate the issuance of that particular type of licences. The staff must pay special attention to see that the by-laws of licensed premises are fairly observed so that the allegation of corruption will not be levied against them. As the scope of the Council's work has expanded in all directions to meet the increasing problems of the Colony's increasing population, the public desire to see the early realization of urban amenities such as parks and swimming pools in Kowloon. A measure I would particularly like to stress, Mr. Chairman, is the introduction of the new Hawker Control Force which I hope would have the effect of giving licensed hawkers a better deal and restricting the activities of illegal hawkers from public markets. The 50 new posts for Assistant Health Inspectors on which I would like to comment is that although I naturally would not like to prejudge them in any way, I hope they would live up to their expectation of carrying out some of the duties of Health Inspectors. In the past we had occasions to make comments on the generally low standards of hygiene and cleanliness found in certain premises and tenements, and the stock answer given invariably was that it was due to the shortage of health inspectors and their inability to get round to these places. I dare say, Mr. Chairman, that we are still short of the ideal number, and I hope these new additions with the 158 new and old Health Inspectors would have the desired effects to be seen.
One could go on for hours in making observation of this nature on these draft Estimates because the duties and responsibilities of the Council have been increased tremendously. Since other Members, Mr. Chairman, may like to exercise their right, I will therefore confine myself to these remarks. Before conclud-
Page 118 of 139
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(rest of the text is not provided)
Page 118 of 139
Page 117 of 139
214
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Revision Select Committee to give more adequate protection to the public, the implementation of the principles of the Hawkers' Report, the management of City Hall, car park, swimming pools, bathing beaches and cemeteries, the supervision of 50 acres, in addition to the 137 acres of public parks, playgrounds and rest gardens. Finally, the ever pressing problem of maintaining strict control on rodents and other pests, as mosquitoes, flies and bed bugs (last year 278,980 rats were destroyed). We cannot afford to have any weak link in the chain of round-the-clock services. So it is imperative that the needed extra 1,490 personnel must be employed for increased administrative, professional and technical work.
Despite almost insuperable difficulties the Resettlement Department showed a balanced budget. Work of the Department has to be built. To cope with its expansion and to ensure the smooth-running of its day to day duties, the need for an adequate staff is vital and must be met. Besides the usual duties, the staff is ever ready to handle any new attempts at squatting on rooftops and Crown Lands. This work cannot and must not be relaxed.
Having served in all three Select Committees, I have gained a deep insight, an on the spot knowledge of the urgency of creating at least 500 new posts to resettle hundreds of thousands of squatters, to contain the present squatters until they could be resettled.
With a balanced budget I urge that Government should give us an overall approval to enable the respective Department to continue the vital task of clearing sites for the erection of Resettle- ment Blocks and thereby providing more land for much needed factories, schools and low cost housing.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting the Draft Estimates before us.
Dr. R. H. S. LEE :—I welcome this opportunity to speak on the analysis of the draft Estimates which is tabled to-day because any revision thereof affects the tax-payer's money. Although the Council render a multitude of duty to the public it is important to see that these services justify the expenditure. From the analysis alone it appears that with certain exceptions most sections show some increases in personnel and in the case of the Hawker Control Force, a new body is created altogether. I hope these
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
215
increases and the reorganization of the Department mentioned by you, Mr. Chairman, will materially contribute towards greater efficiency and better services rendered to the public, and discharg- ing the increased duties of the Council.
Mr. Chairman, from our contacts with the public we are in the position to assess fairly accurately the public reaction to all aspects of the Council's work. I must say that I am favourably impressed by the large numbers of people in favour of the Council's general policy towards a better and cleaner Hong Kong, and by their progressive outlook towards more effective anti- mosquito control and a greater measure of sanitation in respect to our secondary streets. In view of certain complaints from restaurant owners we must strive for an even better machinery to facilitate the issuance of that particular type of licences. The staff must pay special attention to see that the by-laws of licensed premises are fairly observed so that the allegation of corruption will not be levied against them. As the scope of the Council's work has expanded in all directions to meet the increasing problems of the Colony's increasing population, the public desire to see the early realization of urban amenities such as parks and swimming pools in Kowloon. A measure I would particularly like to stress, Mr. Chairman, is the introduction of the new Hawker Control Force which I hope would have the effect of giving licensed hawkers a better deal and restricting the activities of illegal hawkers from public markets. The 50 new posts for Assistant Health Inspectors on which I would like to comment is that although I naturally would not like to prejudge them in any way, I hope they would live up to their expectation of carrying out some of the duties of Health Inspectors. In the past we had occasions to make comments on the generally low standards of hygiene and cleanliness found in certain premises and tenements, and the stock answer given invariably was that it was due to the shortage of health inspectors and their inability to get round to these places. I dare say, Mr. Chairman, that we are still short of the ideal number, and I hope these new additions with the 158 new and old Health Inspectors would have the desired effects to be seen.
One could go on for hours in making observation of this nature on these draft Estimates because the duties and respon- sibilities of the Council have been increased tremendously. Since other Members, Mr. Chairman, may like to exercise their right, I will therefore confine myself to these remarks. Before conclud-
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