1964 — Page 176

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 176 of 312

328

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

industrial buildings has been given consideration, but no satisfactory solution has yet been found because of the magnitude of the problems involved.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Director of Public Works in regard to the last sentence of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services' reply, whether there is any Working Party going into this question further at the moment?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:- Not that I am aware of, Mr. Chairman.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Is there any particular reason for that Mr. Chairman? Could it be that the problem is of such magnitude that Government does not wish to face up to it?

CHAIRMAN:- Sir, you may recall that the subject was considered earlier this year by this Council and a paper was issued for the Members of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council in April and considered at the meeting of the Standing Committee on 7th April. It was pointed out then, Sir, that it would perhaps be appropriate to have the matter considered by the Industrial Sites Co-ordination Committee and I think it was considered at that time by that Committee. The matter is due to be re-opened by the Department with the Colonial Secretariat in the near future.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Will it be re-opened along the lines as suggested in my original question, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN:- I certainly propose to forward your question to the Colonial Secretary for consideration.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Can I have your assurance, Sir, that Members of this Council, whether in Standing Committee of the Whole, or otherwise, will be kept fully advised of the deliberations of that particular Committee in regard to this subject?

MR. SALES:- When you make representations to the Colonial Secretary on this subject, would you also, Mr. Chairman, direct his attention to other harmful factories not located in resettlement areas, about which this Council is greatly concerned?

CHAIRMAN:- Yes, Sir.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Do I assume that your answer to my earlier question is in the affirmative, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN:- Yes, Sir. It is my intention to keep Members informed.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Thank you, Sir.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

329

(2) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-

(a) Will the Director of Urban Services Department and the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise whether letters addressed by residents to these two departments in the Chinese language are always replied to in English with a Chinese translation?

(b) If not, can steps be taken to ensure that this will always be done in future in both departments?

(c) If there is a shortage of translators in either or both departments can steps be taken to ensure that qualified translators will be obtained?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

In the Urban Services Department, letters received in Chinese from members of the public are replied to in Chinese wherever this is practicable. The department has only one Interpreter/Translator; his duties include the translation of correspondence into Chinese or English as appropriate, but there is a limit to the amount of work which he can handle personally. Where simple replies in Chinese are called for, clerical staff are sometimes able to do this. The majority of notices relating to sanitary nuisances, demand notes for market stall rents, hawker licences, etc., contain Chinese translations.

I have now arranged that replies to routine correspondence received in Chinese should have a Chinese translation attached. This can be done by the clerical staff. At the same time a check is being kept on the number of letters in Chinese which are received. If it is found desirable to have an additional Interpreter/Translator to facilitate the sending of replies in Chinese, a request for this assistance will be made.

In regard to the Resettlement Department, I am informed by my friend, the Commissioner for Resettlement that it has not always been the practice to send replies in Chinese to letters received in Chinese. Some 400 letters a day are received in Resettlement Headquarters, about three-quarters of which are in Chinese. It is not practicable, with only two Interpreter/Translators, to ensure that every one of the Chinese correspondents receives a reply in Chinese. However, by a recent decision, all standard gestetnered letters from the Resettlement Department now carry a Chinese version in addition to the English one.

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Page 176 of 312 328 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL industrial buildings has been given consideration, but no satisfactory solution has yet been found because of the magnitude of the problems involved. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Director of Public Works in regard to the last sentence of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services' reply, whether there is any Working Party going into this question further at the moment? DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:- Not that I am aware of, Mr. Chairman. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Is there any particular reason for that Mr. Chairman? Could it be that the problem is of such magnitude that Government does not wish to face up to it? CHAIRMAN:- Sir, you may recall that the subject was considered earlier this year by this Council and a paper was issued for the Members of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council in April and considered at the meeting of the Standing Committee on 7th April. It was pointed out then, Sir, that it would perhaps be appropriate to have the matter considered by the Industrial Sites Co-ordination Committee and I think it was considered at that time by that Committee. The matter is due to be re-opened by the Department with the Colonial Secretariat in the near future. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Will it be re-opened along the lines as suggested in my original question, Mr. Chairman? CHAIRMAN:- I certainly propose to forward your question to the Colonial Secretary for consideration. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Can I have your assurance, Sir, that Members of this Council, whether in Standing Committee of the Whole, or otherwise, will be kept fully advised of the deliberations of that particular Committee in regard to this subject? MR. SALES:- When you make representations to the Colonial Secretary on this subject, would you also, Mr. Chairman, direct his attention to other harmful factories not located in resettlement areas, about which this Council is greatly concerned? CHAIRMAN:- Yes, Sir. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Do I assume that your answer to my earlier question is in the affirmative, Mr. Chairman? CHAIRMAN:- Yes, Sir. It is my intention to keep Members informed. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Thank you, Sir. HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 329 (2) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:- (a) Will the Director of Urban Services Department and the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise whether letters addressed by residents to these two departments in the Chinese language are always replied to in English with a Chinese translation? (b) If not, can steps be taken to ensure that this will always be done in future in both departments? (c) If there is a shortage of translators in either or both departments can steps be taken to ensure that qualified translators will be obtained? THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:- In the Urban Services Department, letters received in Chinese from members of the public are replied to in Chinese wherever this is practicable. The department has only one Interpreter/Translator; his duties include the translation of correspondence into Chinese or English as appropriate, but there is a limit to the amount of work which he can handle personally. Where simple replies in Chinese are called for, clerical staff are sometimes able to do this. The majority of notices relating to sanitary nuisances, demand notes for market stall rents, hawker licences, etc., contain Chinese translations. I have now arranged that replies to routine correspondence received in Chinese should have a Chinese translation attached. This can be done by the clerical staff. At the same time a check is being kept on the number of letters in Chinese which are received. If it is found desirable to have an additional Interpreter/Translator to facilitate the sending of replies in Chinese, a request for this assistance will be made. In regard to the Resettlement Department, I am informed by my friend, the Commissioner for Resettlement that it has not always been the practice to send replies in Chinese to letters received in Chinese. Some 400 letters a day are received in Resettlement Headquarters, about three-quarters of which are in Chinese. It is not practicable, with only two Interpreter/Translators, to ensure that every one of the Chinese correspondents receives a reply in Chinese. However, by a recent decision, all standard gestetnered letters from the Resettlement Department now carry a Chinese version in addition to the English one. Page 176 of 312

Baseline (Original)

Page 176 of 312 328 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL industrial buildings has been given consideration, but no satisfactory solution has yet been found because of the magnitude of the problems involved. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Director of Public Works in regard to the last sentence of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services' reply, whether there is any Working Party going into this question further at the moment? DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-Not that I am aware of, Mr. Chairman. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Is there any particular reason for that Mr. Chairman? Could it be that the problem is of such magnitude that Government does not wish to face up to it? CHAIRMAN:-Sir, you may recall that the subject was considered earlier this year by this Council and a paper was issued for the Members of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council in April and considered at the meeting of the Standing Committee on 7th April. It was pointed out then, Sir, that it would perhaps be appropriate to have the matter considered by the Industrial Sites Co-ordination Committee and I think it was considered at that time by that Committee. The matter is due to be re-opened by the Department with the Colonial Secretariat in the near future. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Will it be re-opened along the lines as sug- gested in my original question, Mr. Chairman? CHAIRMAN: I certainly propose to forward your question to the Colonial Secretary for consideration. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Can I have your assurance, Sir, that Members of this Council, whether in Standing Committee of the Whole, or other- wise, will be kept fully advised of the deliberations of that particular Committee in regard to this subject? MR. SALES: -When you make representations to the Colonial Secre- tary on this subject, would you also, Mr. Chairman, direct his attention to other harmful factories not located in resettlement areas, about which this Council is greatly concerned? CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Do I assume that your answer to my earlier question is in the affirmative, Mr. Chairman? CHAIRMAN: -Yes, Sir. It is my intention to keep Members informed. MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you, Sir. HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 329 (2) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question :- (a) Will the Director of Urban Services Department and the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise whether letters addressed by residents to these two departments in the Chinese language are always replied to in English with a Chinese translation? (b) If not, can steps be taken to ensure that this will always be done in future in both departments? (c) If there is a shortage of translators in either or both depart- ments can steps be taken to ensure that qualified transla- tors will be obtained? THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:- In the Urban Services Department, letters received in Chinese from members of the public are replied to in Chinese wherever this is practicable. The department has only one Interpreter/Translator; his duties include the transla- tion of correspondence into Chinese or English as appro- priate, but there is a limit to the amount of work which he can handle personally. Where simple replies in Chinese are called for, clerical staff are sometimes able to do this. The majority of notices relating to sanitary nui- sances, demand notes for market stall rents, hawker licences, etc., contain Chinese translations. I have now arranged that replies to routine correspondence received in Chinese should have a Chinese translation attached. This can be done by the clerical staff. At the same time a check is being kept on the number of letters in Chinese which are received. If it is found desirable to have an additional Interpreter/Translator to facilitate the sending of replies in Chinese, a request for this assist- ance will be made. In regard to the Resettlement Department, I am informed by my friend, the Commissioner for Resettlement that it has not always been the practice to send replies in Chinese to letters received in Chinese. Some 400 letters a day are received in Resettlement Headquarters, about three- quarters of which are in Chinese. It is not practicable, with only two Interpreter/Translators, to ensure that every one of the Chinese correspondents receives a reply in Chinese. However, by a recent decision, all standard gestetnered letters from the Resettlment Department now carry a Chinese version in addition to the English one.

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Page 176 of 312

328

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

industrial buildings has been given consideration, but no satisfactory solution has yet been found because of the magnitude of the problems involved.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Director of Public Works in regard to the last sentence of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services' reply, whether there is any Working Party going into this question further at the moment?

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-Not that I am aware of, Mr. Chairman.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Is there any particular reason for that Mr. Chairman? Could it be that the problem is of such magnitude that Government does not wish to face up to it?

CHAIRMAN:-Sir, you may recall that the subject was considered earlier this year by this Council and a paper was issued for the Members of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council in April and considered at the meeting of the Standing Committee on 7th April. It was pointed out then, Sir, that it would perhaps be appropriate to have the matter considered by the Industrial Sites Co-ordination Committee and I think it was considered at that time by that Committee. The matter is due to be re-opened by the Department with the Colonial Secretariat in the near future.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Will it be re-opened along the lines as sug- gested in my original question, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN: I certainly propose to forward your question to the Colonial Secretary for consideration.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Can I have your assurance, Sir, that Members of this Council, whether in Standing Committee of the Whole, or other- wise, will be kept fully advised of the deliberations of that particular Committee in regard to this subject?

MR. SALES: -When you make representations to the Colonial Secre- tary on this subject, would you also, Mr. Chairman, direct his attention to other harmful factories not located in resettlement areas, about which this Council is greatly concerned?

CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Do I assume that your answer to my earlier question is in the affirmative, Mr. Chairman?

CHAIRMAN: -Yes, Sir. It is my intention to keep Members

informed.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you, Sir.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

329

(2) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question :-

(b) If not, can steps be taken to ensure that this will always be

done in future in both departments?

(c) If there is a shortage of translators in either or both depart- ments can steps be taken to ensure that qualified transla- tors will be obtained?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

In the Urban Services Department, letters received in Chinese from members of the public are replied to in Chinese wherever this is practicable. The department has only one Interpreter/Translator; his duties include the transla- tion of correspondence into Chinese or English as appro- priate, but there is a limit to the amount of work which he can handle personally. Where simple replies in Chinese are called for, clerical staff are sometimes able to do this. The majority of notices relating to sanitary nui- sances, demand notes for market stall rents, hawker licences, etc., contain Chinese translations.

In regard to the Resettlement Department, I am informed by my friend, the Commissioner for Resettlement that it has not always been the practice to send replies in Chinese to letters received in Chinese. Some 400 letters a day are received in Resettlement Headquarters, about three- quarters of which are in Chinese. It is not practicable, with only two Interpreter/Translators, to ensure that every one of the Chinese correspondents receives a reply in Chinese. However, by a recent decision, all standard gestetnered letters from the Resettlment Department now carry a Chinese version in addition to the English one.

1964 — Page 176

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