HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
122
The motion to review the existing legislation which it is the duty of the Council to enforce, was passed on the 20th day of December, 1955. The Law Revision Select Committee, then under the able chairmanship of Mr. P. C. Woo, had its first meeting on the 26th January, 1956. I became a member of that Committee in April, 1956; by then the Committee had held six meetings. At the beginning the Committee held meetings fortnightly, but since the 10th of May, 1956 its meetings have been weekly. It has so far held altogether 111 meetings of an average of a little over 2 hours each.
At the outset a Minor Secretariat was set up, with Mr. Paul Tsui, the then Assistant Director of Urban Services, heading it, to assist in the work of the Committee. Mr. Tsui did a lot of work to facilitate the task of the Committee. I do not propose to enumerate here all that he did, but suffice it to say that the service rendered by him to the Committee involved considerable responsibility, time and hard labour. Apart from the voluminous paper work done by him, he also regularly attended the meetings of the Committee, until he was transferred from the Council in the early part of this year.
While he was chairman of the Committee, Mr. P. C. Woo very ably directed and steered its work, and upon his leaving the Committee at the end of March, 1957, I took his place as the Committee's chairman—a poor substitute, I am afraid. Mr. Woo's departure was a loss to the Committee, but we were fortunate that Mr. Y. K. Kan joined us as a member of the Committee immediately after Mr. Woo ceased to be a member. With his professional experience and wide knowledge of the local conditions, Mr. Kan, who has attended the meetings of the Committee most regularly, has contributed much to the work of the Committee.
Mr. Bodilly is the chief architect upon whom the arduous task of drafting all the proposed legislation has fallen, which consists not only of the proposed Bill now laid before the Council, but also a multitude of by-laws required to carry out the provisions of the proposed new ordinance. We are greatly indebted to him for the patience, thoroughness and skill with which he has carried out his task.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
123
Dr. P. H. Teng, in his capacity as the Assistant Director of Health Services as he then was, was a member of the Committee ever since its inception and guided us on all health matters, until he was transferred from that post recently. The Committee has been greatly assisted by the valuable advice from him and his colleagues Dr. Coombes, Dr. Black and Dr. Wylie at all times.
Many senior members of the staff of the Urban Services Department have taken a very active part in the work of the Committee, and their assistance to the Committee has been of very great value.
To all and sundry who have given their service to the Committee I, as its Chairman, want to take this opportunity to say that we are most grateful for their co-operation and contribution.
With the above words, Sir, I have much pleasure in seconding your motion.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI :- Mr. Chairman, may I just say a few words more or less impromptu because really most of what has to be said has already been said by yourself and Mr. Kwan.
The Motion in 1955 was Mr. P. C. Woo's motion and as a result of that Motion work has been done by members of this Council, aided by the staff of the Urban Services Department and by Crown Counsel, Mr. Bodilly, who was more or less specifically allocated to this work, over the last few years which would probably otherwise not have been done in the course of the next 20 years.
A total of seven different Ordinances will become obsolete when this legislation is passed—provided of course it is passed by the Legislature and another three Ordinances will be extensively amended. The whole of our Health legislation will be brought up to date in accordance with Public Health legislation that prevails today in the United Kingdom. That was a point which was particularly stressed by all of us who spoke at the time when the Committee was appointed in 1955, that we do want to have here in Hong Kong the up to date Health legislation that has been found to be the best answer so far as a result of many years of experience in the big towns of the United Kingdom.
May I join with the tribute that has already been paid to Mr. P. C. Woo's chairmanship of that Committee and his very great enthusiasm for the work. May I also add that I think in
Page 71 of 139
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122
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The motion to review the existing legislation which it is the duty of the Council to enforce, was passed on the 20th day of December, 1955. The Law Revision Select Committee, then under the able chairmanship of Mr. P. C. Woo, had its first meeting on the 26th January, 1956. I became a member of that Committee in April, 1956; by then the Committee had held six meetings. At the beginning the Committee held meetings fort- nightly, but since the roth of May, 1956 its meetings have been weekly. It has so far held altogether 111 meetings of the average of a little over 2 hours each.
At the outset a what was described in the minutes of the first meeting of the Committee as a Minor Secretariat was set up, with Mr. Paul Tsui, the then Assistant Director of Urban Services, heading it, to assist in the work of the Committee. Mr. Tsui did a lot of work to facilitate the task of the Committee. I do not propose to enumerate here all that he did, but suffice it to say that the service rendered by him to the Committee involved con- siderable responsibility, time and hard labour. Apart from the voluminous paper work done by him, he also regularly attended the meetings of the Committee, until he was transferred from the Council in the early part of this year.
While he was chairman of the Committee, Mr. P. C. Woo very ably directed and steered its work, and upon his leaving the Committee at the end of March, 1957, I took his place as the Committee's chairman--a poor substitute, I am afraid. Mr. Woo's departure was a loss to the Committee, but we were fortunate that Mr. Y. K. Kan joined us as a member of the Committee immediately after Mr. Woo ceased to be a member. With his professional experience and wide knowledge of the local conditions, Mr. Kan, who has attended the meetings of the Committee most regularly, has contributed much to the work of the Committee.
Mr. Bodilly is the chief architect upon whom the arduous task of drafting all the proposed legislation has fallen, which consists not only of the proposed Bill now laid before the Council, but also a multitude of by-laws required to carry out the provi- sions of the proposed new ordinance. We are greatly indebted to him for the patience, thoroughness and skill with which he has carried out his task.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
123
Dr. P. H. Teng, in his capacity as the Assistant Director of Health Services as he then was, was a member of the Committee ever since its inception and guided us on all health matters, until he was transferred from that post recently. The Committee has been greatly assisted by the valuable advice from him and his colleagues Dr. Coombes, Dr. Black and Dr. Wylie at all times.
Many senior members of the staff of the Urban Services Department have taken a very active part in the work of the Committee, and their assistance to the Committee has been of very great value.
To all and sundry who have given their service to the Com- mittee I, as its Chairman, want to take this opportunity to say that we are most grateful for their co-operation and contribution.
With the above words, Sir, I have much pleasure in second- ing your motion.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI :-Mr. Chairman, may I just say a few words more or less impromptu because really most of what has to be said has already been said by yourself and Mr. Kwan.
The Motion in 1955 was Mr. P. C. Woo's motion and as a result of that Motion work has been done by members of this Council, aided by the staff of the Urban Services Department and by Crown Counsel, Mr. Bodilly, who was more or less specifically allocated to this work, over the last few years which would probably otherwise not have been done in the course of the next 20 years.
A total of seven different Ordinances will become obsolete when this legislation is passed-provided of course it is passed by the Legislature and another three Ordin- ances will be extensively amended. The whole of our Health legislation will be brought up to date in accordance with Public Health legislation that prevails today in the United Kingdom. That was a point which was particularly stressed by all of us who spoke at the time when the Committee was appointed in 1955, that we do want to have here in Hong Kong the up to date Health legislation that has been found to be the best answer so far as a result of many years of experience in the big towns of the United Kingdom.
May I join with the tribute that has already been paid to Mr. P. C. Woo's chairmanship of that Committee and his very great enthusiasm for the work. May I also add that I think in
Page 71 of 139
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