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There are many contributing factors for this but in the absence of any public meetings the public remains largely in the dark. Far from detracting the work of the Authority I would suggest that public meetings would have the effect of streamlining it because much of the work now being done by the whole Authority in sessions which last several hours could and should better be carried out by Select Committees along the lines that the work of this Council is performed; and the whole Authority as such need only meet once a month or even a quarter for a full Meeting to debate Motions or answer questions plus the occasional full Authority in Committee in the same manner as this Council occasionally meets as a Full Council in Committee. With the present system whereby practically everything has to be decided upon by everybody the old adage that too many cooks spoil the broth is only too true, with the result that to get things done decisions are being taken departmentally which ought to be the responsibility of the Authority through one of its Select Committees and even its Standing Orders have been found to be wholly inadequate.
Another matter which is entirely missing from the programme for the coming year is any attempt to give instructions to our representative on the Traffic Advisory Board. Our representative on the Traffic Advisory Board is, apart from the two multi-storied car parks on the Central Reclamation, our only direct contact with the traffic problems which so vitally affect this community. And on that Committee our representative is not merely a voice, he is the voice of the Urban Council, and it is therefore our job to see that he is properly instructed as to the Council's views on traffic matters generally. I should like to mention something straight-away on which I have received a number of representations from members of the public, namely, the question of diesel engine taxis. Many people do not care for travelling in these diesel engined taxis and I consider that the fact of a taxi being diesel engined should be prominently displayed on some part of its coachwork. I also consider that in licensing taxis generally care should be taken that at least 50% of the licensed taxis are of the ordinary type of engine. Something should also be done to enable the hiring of cars to be obtained at much cheaper rates for the non urban areas particularly the longer distances required to be travelled in the New Territories. One can hardly blame the man
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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in the street for taking what is known as a "pak pai" vehicle, that is to say an illegal hire car, when the cost of the taxi over a distance of several miles is more than the average person's pocket can afford.
Finally, I want to stress again the point that I made last year as regards the generally unsatisfactory state of our Health Staff organization and I stress again the need for a separate Director of Health Services with a Health Department associated with this Council in the same manner as the Urban Services Department. If this is not to be, then we feel that the Health Service work of this Council is so important to the community that the Government Officer who sits with us and is at present by statute the Vice-Chairman of the Council should be the Director of Health Services which at present is incorporated in the same person as the Director of Medical Services. We very much appreciate the tremendous work that is being done on and for this Council by the present Assistant Director of Health Services and his predecessors, but I am not talking about personalities at the moment but of principle and as the Assistant Director of Health Services is obviously not in a position to take major policy decisions himself we should and must have direct liaison with a man who is the Head of those Health Services and if we are not to have a separate Health Department with a separate Director of Health Services then the only alternative is for the Director of Medical Services personally to become a Member of this Council.
Mr. Chairman, may I conclude by associating myself with the other remarks made by the Reform Club Elected Members and indeed with many of the other suggestions put forward by the other members as well; and may I take this opportunity to wish you every success in your new appointment as Director of Urban Services and Ex-Officio Chairman of this Council.
And lastly, a word of thanks to you all for your generous words of welcome back and congratulations on the arrival of what Philip Au has just called my "Unofficial Reform Club Baby"! (Applause).
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI :-On all previous meetings of annual conventional debates, that I have attended, the order of speaking has been carefully worked out on the general basis that we should speak inter-changing Appointed and Elected Members and inter-changing the Elected Members of one party and another.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
There are many contributing factors for this but in the absence of any public meetings the public remains largely in the dark. Far from detracting the work of the Authority I would suggest that public meetings would have the effect of streamlining it because much of the work now being done by the whole Authority in sessions which last several hours could and should better be carried out by Select Committees along the lines that the work of this Council is performed; and the whole Authority as such need only meet once a month or even a quarter for a full Meeting to debate Motions or answer questions plus the occasional full Authority in Committee in the same manner as this Council occasionally meets as a Full Council in Committee. With the present system whereby practically everything has to be decided upon by everybody the old adage that too many cooks spoil the broth is only too true, with the result that to get things done decisions are being taken departmentally which ought to be the responsibility of the Authority through one of its Select Com- mittees and even its Standing Orders have been found to be wholly inadequate.
Another matter which is entirely missing from the programme for the coming year is any attempt to give instructions to our representative on the Traffic Advisory Board. Our representative on the Traffic Advisory Board is, apart from the two multi-storied car parks on the Central Reclamation, our only direct contact with the traffic problems which so vitally affect this community. And on that Committee our representative is not merely a voice, he is the voice of the Urban Council, and it is therefore our job to see that he is properly instructed as to the Council's views on traffic matters generally. I should like to mention something straight- away on which I have received a number of representations from members of the public, namely, the question of diesel engine taxis. Many people do not care for travelling in these diesel engined taxis and I consider that the fact of a taxi being diesel engined should be prominently displayed on some part of its coachwork. I also consider that in licensing taxis generally care should be taken that at least 50% of the licensed taxis are of the ordinary type of engine. Something should also be done to enable the hiring of cars to be obtained at much cheaper rates for the non urban areas particularly the longer distances required to be travelled in the New Territories. One can hardly blame the man
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
41
in the street for taking what is known as a "pak pai" vehicle, that is to say an illegal hire car, when the cost of the taxi over a distance of several miles is more than the average person's pocket can afford.
Finally, I want to stress again the point that I made last year as regards the generally unsatisfactory state of our Health Staff organization and I stress again the need for a separate Director of Health Services with a Health Department associated with this Council in the same manner as the Urban Services Department. If this is not to be, then we feel that the Health Service work of this Council is so important to the community that the Government Officer who sits with us and is at present by statute the Vice- Chairman of the Council should be the Director of Health Services which at present is incorporated in the same person as the Director of Medical Services. We very much appreciate the tremendous work that is being done on and for this Council by the present Assistant Director of Health Services and his pre- decessors, but I am not talking about personalities at the moment but of principle and as the Assistant Director of Health Services is obviously not in a position to take major policy decisions himself we should and must have direct liaison with a man who is the Head of those Health Services and if we are not to have a separate Health Department with a separate Director of Health Services then the only alternative is for the Director of Medical Services personally to become a Member of this Council.
Mr. Chairman, may I conclude by associating myself with the other remarks made by the Reform Club Elected Members and indeed with many of the other suggestions put forward by the other members as well; and may I take this opportunity to wish you every success in your new appointment as Director of Urban Services and Ex-Officio Chairman of this Council.
And lastly, a word of thanks to you all for your generous words of welcome back and congratulations on the arrival of what Philip Au has just called my "Unofficial Reform Club Baby"! (Applause).
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI :-On all previous meetings of annual conventional debates, that I have attended, the order of speaking has been carefully worked out on the general basis that we should speak inter-changing Appointed and Elected Members and inter-changing the Elected Members of one party and another.
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