1963 — Page 178

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Page 178 of 194

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resulting in two successful prosecutions, both against cinemas. Only one complaint was received during the past year. This also concerned a cinema. It was due to a mechanical defect which was immediately rectified. No complaints or prosecutions arose in respect of restaurants

during 1963.

MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I ask whether this matter has been considered by the Air-Conditioning Select Committee of this Council?

MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG:-Mr. Chairman, may I answer that question? In fact, the regulations under the Ventilation By-laws were considered and determined by the Air-Conditioning Select Committee. Therefore, the answer is "Yes".

MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I, through you, thank the Chairman of that Select Committee. Might I also suggest, Mr. Chairman, that in view of the rising number of complaints about this matter a meeting of the Air-Conditioning Select Committee should be convened to determine what steps might be taken in this regard. I understand that that Select Committee has hardly met.

MR. WONG:-I beg your pardon. The Select Committee met last year and it is thought that we will have another meeting soon.

MR. SALES: How many times has the Select Committee met in the 1963/64 administrative year, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN:-Sir, your question is out of order. It seems to me that the gist of the reply does not indicate any urgent need for the Committee to meet, as only one complaint has been received in the past year.

MR. CHEUNG WING-IN asked the following question:

Excreta from dogs on pavements particularly on the upper levels is causing quite a nuisance particularly in hot weather.

Has the Department considered taking steps to abate this

nuisance?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:·

This nuisance is dealt with, as far as possible, by beat sweepers and the offensive matter is disposed of in the normal way. Following receipt of your question, staff of the depart- ment have again been instructed to ensure that they take

effective action to abate the nuisance. I would of course welcome further information as to specific points on the upper levels where the nuisance is prevalent. (Laughter).

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

Will the Director of Urban Services Department please make

a statement concerning the draft Advertisement By-laws: (a) whether the re-draft of the By-laws has been com-

pleted by the Department, and

(b) whether informal discussions on the By-laws have been held with the advertising associations concerned, and if not, whether they will soon be held?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows: -

The department has not yet finished preparing the revised framework for the proposed Advertisement By-laws and I am unable to say how much longer this will take. Informal discussions were held with the advertising associations last year, but it looks now as if fresh discus- sions will be necessary. I hope that it will be possible to arrange these within the next six weeks.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, are the existing Advertise- ment By-laws very much out of date?

CHAIRMAN:-Mr. SALES, as Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee, would you like to comment on that?

MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I thank you for inviting me. I was hoping that you would. The work has been going on for a few years and in fact each time that the revision has been considered the appropriate parties have been consulted in this matter. But with the progress that has been made in advertising, the need has arisen for further revisions to take place. In fairness to the staff concerned with this revision, there has been tremendous accumulation of work, and as I pointed out in an earlier speech this afternoon, there is a shortage of the top grade staff necessary to undertake such work, so an order of priority has had to be established. The Urban Amenities Select Com- mittee does not consider that the control of advertisements cannot be left off until more urgent matters are undertaken for the welfare of the people. In any case, there is a body of opinion that the longer it takes to introduce legislation the more advertisements there will be, and the more advertisements that the Colony has, when the time comes for Council to charge for them, the more the Treasury will be enriched in consequence.