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borrow children from other households-they are referred to the Investigation Staff, who are an entirely separate branch of the Clearance Unit, Decisions on borderline cases thereafter are taken by the Resettlement Officer, Operations, or the Administrative Officer, Operations, who, if the need arises, personally interview the applicants. If they too are in doubt, they refer cases to me, and sometimes the Policy Select Committee is consulted. As regards question 1(b), I would emphasize that my office is readily accessible to settlers. If anyone wishes to see me, he or she is perfectly at liberty to do so, but such inter- views are hardly likely to serve any useful purpose without some reference to the previous experience of the Depart- mental staff in the particular case. Also there is a definite practical limit to the number of cases which I could handle personally, as Members will appreciate. Where someone wishes to see me personally, I suggest that the best plan would be to write to me, so that I can brief myself on the facts of the case prior to the interview. I can also see no objection to a caller bringing his or her own interpreter if desired.

As regards question number 2, night checking is not regarded as infallible though it is a sound and tried method of establishing residence. No cases are decided on night checks alone. If anyone is aggrieved, an appeal may be sent by letter to me requesting reconsideration.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Might I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement a supplementary question? Does he mean by the first part of his answer that favourable reports by screening officers are not spot checked at all? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Favourable reports, that is, reports in favour of the person screened, are periodically spot checked, but there is no regular checking.

MR. K. S. Lo asked the following question:

Is the Chairman aware of the fact that because of the present water shortage some restaurants have been getting water from sources other than the mains? What steps have been taken to ensure that:-

(a) such water is being properly chlorinated;

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(b) it is used by the restaurants for washing purposes

only?

THE DEPUTY Director of MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:-

The Urban Services Department is aware of such usage and that it is possible that water from some sources is not in fact chlorinated; only those wells which are used by the public for drawing water for domestic use in normal times are regularly treated in this way. But all members of the public as well as licensees of food premises who use water from doubtful sources for anything to do with eating or drinking have been repeatedly advised to boil the water. This method of sterilization is safer and easier for the owners to carry out themselves.

So far there is every evidence that licensees are taking our advice and exercising great care in the use of water. The fact that there has only been a small increase in cases of typhoid and bacillary dysentery bears this out. The general impression is that restaurant proprietors are co- operating cheerfully with the authorities in the face of severe difficulties sometimes amounting to real hardship, and I am sure that they will continue to do so.

MR. BERNACCHI : ---Might I ask the Vice-Chairman a supplementary? Is it true that jellies made with chlorinated water may contain bacteria? I believe that you have given instructions to the Urban Services Depart- ment staff to the effect that restaurants should discontinue serving jellies.

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -Mr. Chairman, I think this is not related to whether or not jelly is made from chlorinated or unchlorinated water. Jelly is a source of danger because it may be contaminated after it has been made. It is like drinks which are not kept or stored properly.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Thank you.

MR. LO:-Mr. Chairman, may I, through you, ask for clarification? In the case of restaurants I understand that water for drinking and eating is boiled, but in the case of water for washing dishes, to what extent have steps been taken to ensure that such water is being chlorinated?

DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-We advise either chlorination or boiling. When we tender advice about using water we also hope that the restaurant people will appreciate the fact that water used for washing their eating and cooking utensils should either have been chlorinated or have been boiled.

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