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with a rope round it. I must assume, Mr. Chairman, that the indica-tions were that it would not be possible to clear that dump even by that evening. Mr. Chairman, can I have your assurance that this particular point can be cleared, not three times, but at least twice a day completely on each occasion?
CHAIRMAN: Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Do you believe, Sir, that this can be done commencing within the next few days?
CHAIRMAN: I will endeavour to arrange that, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, I have complete confidence in you. As was discussed with you over the telephone a few days ago, Mr. Chairman, this particular spot was one of the three visited by members of the Hawkers Select Committee on 21st July. In addition to this Fa Yuen Street collection point, there were two other spots which were visited by the Hawkers Select Committee. One is at Sai Yee Street just south of the Macpherson Stadium. There was also a collection point which the Hawker Control Force have been endeavour-ing to clear for more than 7 days. Mr. Chairman, could you state whether the refuse is still there or whether it has already been cleared?
CHAIRMAN: Sir, it should have been cleared from Sai Yee Street. I believe that at that point there are normally three collections daily and that the refuse is usually cleared entirely by nightfall, but I am told that the schedules for that spot have been causing some trouble and they are being re-examined to see if we can get rid of the accumula-tions of refuse between visits by the refuse collecting vehicles.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, I owe you an apology. The place I was referring to was not Sai Yee Street. It was the lane between Hau Wong Road and Nga Tsin Long Road, but I think your answer is in regard to Sai Yee Street. May I ask you, Sir, what is the position regarding the collection of refuse which was in the lane between Hau Wong Road and Nga Tsin Long Road at the time it was visited by the Hawkers Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN: Sir, that is a point in Kowloon City behind the market. My information is that the point is cleared twice daily as far as possible. We have not sufficient transport to allow morning clearance, but there is also what we know as a junk clearance point for empty crates, baskets and boxes and these have accumulated there in such quantities that it has been impossible to clear them every day or every night. However, I believe that, arrangements have been made to ensure that this is done twice daily in future.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, I am glad that you appreciate the importance of clearing this particular spot, because there is a new clinic just nearby, and I would like to confirm the views, which have been expressed by Mr. SALES at a previous meeting of this Council, that the street cleansing operations seem to be deteriorating and I am very glad, Sir, that you are looking into this matter yourself. Thank you.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman, may I ask if it is true that Government will consider the possibility of having a refuse collecting van for each hawker market area?
CHAIRMAN: I would like to look into that point, Mrs. ELLIOTT, and let you know later.
(11) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
Is the Chairman aware of wall cracks in any resettlement block, and will he state in which resettlement estate is it found? Are they due to structural defects or ground settlement? If due to the latter, has intensive well-drilling during last year's drought played any significant role towards this undesirable result?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
As far as I am aware, the only resettlement building which has settlement cracks due to failure of the foundations is at Chai Wan in the blocks which were under construction. This failure was not due to well-boring.
Other cracks which may appear in resettlement blocks, one of which was reported on in the newspapers recently, are expansion joints specifically built into the building in order to allow thermal movement of the building without creating undue stress in the structure.
DR. LEE: I want to thank the Director of Public Works for his very satisfactory reply, but is he satisfied with the other areas in Kowloon, such as Mong Kok, where the buildings are settling down?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: Mr. Chairman, I am not quite sure whether I am in a position to say anything about Mong Kok at the present moment. Quite honestly, at Mong Kok we think that there are a number of causes and these are being investigated. I would rather not say what I think the causes are, until we have the results of the investigation.
(12) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
Is the Chairman aware of the filthy and oily sacks used in the Star Ferry Concourse in Kowloon where motor buses are parked? Has a sunken trough ever been used to drain
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with a rope round it. I must assume, Mr. Chairman, that the indica- tions were that it would not be possible to clear that dump even by that evening. Mr. Chairman, can I have your assurance that this particular point can be cleared, not three times, but at least twice a day completely on each occasion?
CHAIRMAN: Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Do you believe, Sir, that this can be done commencing within the next few days?
CHAIRMAN:-I will endeavour to arrange that, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I have complete confidence in you. As was discussed with you over the telephone a few days ago, Mr. Chairman, this particular spot was one of the three visited by members of the Hawkers Select Committee on 21st July. In addition to this Fa Yuen Street collection point, there were two other spots which were visited by the Hawkers Select Committee. One is at Sai Yee Street just south of the Macpherson Stadium. There was also a collection point which the Hawker Control Force have been endeavour- ing to clear for more than 7 days. Mr. Chairman, could you state whether the refuse is still there or whether it has already been cleared?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, it should have been cleared from Sai Yee Street. I believe that at that point there are normally three collections daily and that the refuse is usually cleared entirely by nightfall, but I am told that the schedules for that spot have been causing some trouble and they are being re-examined to see if we can get rid of the accumula- tions of refuse between visits by the refuse collecting vehicles.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I owe you an apology. The place I was referring to was not Sai Yee Street. It was the lane between Hau Wong Road and Nga Tsin Long Road, but I think your answer is in regard to Sai Yee Street. May I ask you, Sir, what is the position regarding the collection of refuse which was in the lane between Hau Wong Road and Nga Tsin Long Road at the time it was visited by the Hawkers Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN: Sir, that is a point in Kowloon City behind the market. My information is that the point is cleared twice daily as far as possible. We have not sufficient transport to allow morning clearance, but there is also what we know as a junk clearance point for empty crates, baskets and boxes and these have accumulated there in such quantities that it has been impossible to clear them every day or every night. However, I believe that, arrangements have been made to ensure that this is done twice daily in future.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:--Mr. Chairman, I am glad that you appreciate the importance of clearing this particular spot, because there is a new
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clinic just nearby, and I would like to confirm the views, which have been expressed by Mr. SALES at a previous meeting of this Council, that the street cleansing operations seem to be deteriorating and I am very glad, Sir, that you are looking into this matter yourself. Thank you. MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman, may I ask if it is true that Government will consider the possibility of having a refuse collecting van for each hawker market area?
CHAIRMAN:-I would like to look into that point, Mrs. ELLIOTT, and let you know later.
(11) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:
Is the Chairman aware of wall cracks in any resettlement block, and will he state in which resettlement estate is it found? Are they due to structural defects or ground settlement? If due to the latter, has intensive well- drilling during last year's drought played any significant role towards this undesirable result?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
As far as I am aware, the only resettlement building which has settlement cracks due to failure of the foundations is at Chai Wan in the blocks which were under construction. This failure was not due to well-boring.
Other cracks which may appear in resettlement blocks, one of which was reported on in the newspapers recently, are expansion joints specifically built into the building in order to allow thermal movement of the building without creating undue stress in the structure.
DR. LEE: I want to thank the Director of Public Works for his very satisfactory reply, but is he satisfied with the other areas in Kowloon, such as Mong Kok, where the buildings are settling down?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS: -Mr. Chairman, I am not quite sure whether I am in a position to say anything about Mong Kok at the present moment. Quite honestly, at Mong Kok we think that there are a number of causes and these are being investigated. I would rather not say what I think the causes are, until we have the results of the investigation.
(12) DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question :-
Is the Chairman aware of the filthy and oily sacks used in the Star Ferry Concourse in Kowloon where motor buses are parked? Has a sunken trough ever been used to drain
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