1961 — Page 36

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

"The proposal to appoint a Fire Brigade Liaison Officer originated with the Chief Officer, Fire Brigade, in June 1959. The appointment has been delayed because of shortage of suitable staff in the Fire Brigade, but the Director of Fire Services has now informed me that the Fire Brigade, as reconstituted at the beginning of last month, has provision for Assistant Divisional Fire Officers for Hong Kong and Kowloon, and that these officers will be responsible to District Fire Officers for close liaison with the Urban Council on Fire Department matters connected with hawkers and other problems.

2.

The Director of Fire Services will advise me in due course when these appointments have been made."

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

"At the 2nd August, 1960 meeting of this Council I raised the question of spitting in public transportation vehicles; the then Chairman of the Urban Council had stated that he supported the suggestion that an approach be made to the managements of the bus, tram and ferry companies seeking their co-operation in instructing their staffs to point out to members of the public found spitting on any bus, tram or ferry that such was not permitted. Will the Chairman please advise:

(a) Whether such approach to the public transport companies was made, and

(b) What results have so far been achieved?"

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:

"In August 1960 letters were addressed to all local public transport companies, drawing their attention to this insanitary habit and seeking their co-operation in curbing it by the following means:

(i) Ensuring that "No Spitting" notices were prominently and clearly displayed and that Urban Services Department's "No Spitting" posters were used.

(ii) Instructing their staff to point out and to keep on pointing out to members of the public found spitting in any public transport or public place within their jurisdiction, that such spitting is not permitted, is anti-social and a danger to public health, and is a punishable offence.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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(iii) Seeking the advice of the Department on any matter connected with the suppression of the habit.

I am glad to say that the companies concerned have been co-operative in the matter and the Department believes that spitting on the floors or decks of buses, trams and ferries has become less prevalent. Unfortunately, however, the sordid practice of spitting from public vehicles on to public thoroughfares still continues as before."

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

"On a number of occasions in the past, I have raised the question of indiscriminate spitting, and would like to inquire from both the Director of Urban Services Department and the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services on the following points:

(a) Has there been any appreciable reduction of this revolting habit of indiscriminate spitting during the past twelve months?

(b) What are the annual statistics of persons fined for indiscriminate spitting over the past five years?

(c) Will the Director of Urban Services and the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services support the suggestion for stronger and more active measures being taken to reduce and even eradicate indiscriminate spitting?

(d) Do the Director of Urban Services Department and the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services support the suggestion which appeared recently in the correspondence column of the English press that small cards (or handbills) explaining the danger to public health of indiscriminate spitting be printed and distributed widely, particularly to those caught in the act of indiscriminate spitting?

(e) Will the Director of Urban Services and the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services agree to seek the assistance of the Government Information Services in planning a more sustained and effective anti-spitting campaign in this Colony?"

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:

"There is no accurate method, of which I am aware, to determine whether indiscriminate spitting has abated in the past year, and I would not like to hazard a guess on the matter.

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