1961 — Page 51

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Select Committee. For this reason, Mr. Chairman, the powers of these by-laws should be properly delegated to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.

Sir, I am happy to note that the definition of "workplace” does not include a vessel because the proper jurisdiction of vessels comes under the Marine Department. I have been assured, Sir, that there is no need to add restaurants and cafes to the Schedule because they are properly covered separately in the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance.

With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting your Motion.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to add a few words to those of Dr. LEE in support of his suggestion that these by. laws should come under the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, You will recall, Mr. Chairman, that some time ago there was a survey of overcrowding in new multi-storey buildings and it appeared that about 40% of the people living in these new multi-storey tenements were in more overcrowded conditions than people in Resettlement Estates. For this reason, I think that these by-laws should have much wider application and I think that the Urban Council and staff should continue to take all reasonable measures to enforce these by-laws, especially since new buildings are coming up all the time. If we do not make every effort to enforce these by-laws the situation might quite easily get out of hand to the detriment of the health of the community.

MR. WILFRED WONG:-Mr. Chairman, I have no strong views on the matter, although I am the Chairman of the Air Conditioning Select Committee. With reference to the question of ventilation, I would like to draw the attention of this Council to the fact that the previous technical committee had spent something like three years in drawing up the preliminary conditions for ventilation. Ventilation, while it is related to hygiene, is quite a specialised subject inasmuch as it deals with a carbon dioxide content in the proportion of 3/10,000 and with an oxygen content of well below 14% and inasmuch as air-conditioning covers ventilation, the committee had gone into this subject together with the Chief Electrical and Mechanical Engineer, the Deputy Director of Medical & Health Services and the Industrial Health Officer. I do think that on this specialised subject of ventilation, the Air Condition- ing Select Committee might be more appropriate to deal with this subject than the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.

MR. BERNACCHI :-May I suggest, Mr. Chairman, that we pass the by-laws first and we can at a later date in Committee consider to which Select Committee the powers should be delegated.

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87

CHAIRMAN:-Thank you; that is precisely what I was about to

suggest.

The question was put.

The Motion was carried.

THE CHAIRMAN moved the following motion :-

"That for the purposes of enforcing by-laws made under the sections of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordin- ance, 1960 as scheduled hereunder, the Urban Council does hereby delegate, under Section 142 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960, and in accordance with Section 60 of the Urban Council Ordin- ance, 1955, the powers contained in the by-laws scheduled hereunder, to the Committee or public officers named in the same schedule.

Wells and Water Storage By-laws, 1961.

By-law.

(made under Section 26 7(1); 8(1) and (2); 9. Environmental

of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordin- ance, No. 30 of 1960).

Funeral Parlour By-laws, 1960.

To whom delegated.

Hy-

giene Select Com- mittee.

4(2); 4(3) (except the Health Officers and

power to recover

expenses); 5(2) and

(3); 5(4) (except the

power to

expenses).

6(2).

10.

(made under Section 123 12. of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordin- ance, No. 30 of 1960).

recover

Health Inspectors.

Health

Officers,

Health Inspectors, Pest Control Officer and

Assistant Pest Control Officer.

Health Inspectors.

Health Officers, Chief Health Inspectors and Senior Health Inspec-

tors.

"