1964 — Page 24

Page 24 of 312

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

You ask me, Sir, if I would repeat the request for a Com- mission to inquire into the enlargement of the Hong Kong Electoral Roll. I think, however, that such a request would first have to be re-endorsed by this Council and that the method of effecting this would be by the moving of a motion at a meeting of this Council.

MR. BERNACCHI:-As a supplementary, Sir, as my motion which was authorized under Standing Order 10(1) to be moved by me at the May meeting, is now unnecessary in view of Sir Robert BLACK's state- ment* before the Legislative Council just before he laid down his office as Governor of Hong Kong, may I ask you, Sir, whether instead you would put the matter that you have mentioned in the final paragraph of your answer before the Standing Committee this evening to be approved or not approved for moving in the May meeting?

CHAIRMAN: I have no objection to referring the matter to the Standing Committee of the Whole Council.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask my friend Mr. Bernacchi, through you, whether this suggestion that there should be a Commission to inquire into the enlargement of the electoral roll is his personal suggestion as a member of this Council or is it put forward as Chairman of the Reform Club?

MR. BERNACCHI:-I wish to enlarge my answer in Standing Com- mittee.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The reason why I raise this question is that I do not think any of the Civic Association elected members have had an opportunity to study the matter since the Colonial Secretary's letter, which was laid on the table in 1954, was before any Civic Association elected members came on to this Council.

MR. LI YIU-BOR asked the following question:-

As summer is approaching, will the Chairman advise this Council what steps, in addition to routine measures, will be or are being taken to abate the nuisance to public health caused by flies and mosquitoes?

* Sir Robert's statement reads, inter alia, as follows:

to the Secretary of State that it is desirable

"I have also indicated

to expand the Urban

Council, and the Secretary of State has intimated his approval of a pro- posal to increase in due course the unofficial membership of the Urban Council by 4, namely 2 elected and 2 nominated members."

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

27

THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH Services replied as follows:

To deal with mosquitoes first: Members may be aware that there are now 39 mosquito control gangs working in the urban area under supervision of District Health In- spectors. The staff will be increased by three more gangs during the current financial year.

During the last few weeks all district staff have been paying particular attention to potential mosquito breeding places because this is the time of year when breeding starts and complaints are most frequently received. However, Mem- bers may be interested to know that the number of com- plaints during the three months ending with February 1964 was only 37, the lowest figure for any period of three months in the last five years.

In addition to the normal work of the department an "Anti- mosquito Week" will be held later this month, during which house inspection will be suspended and all staff will concentrate on searching for potential mosquito breeding places and either destroying them or teaching the public how to do so.

Turning to the control of flies no special publicity campaign is planned for this summer but consideration will be given to arranging one later in the year if circumstances appear to warrant it. I would, however, point out that this is a part of the work of the department which is carried on actively all the time, and it is only by the uninterrupted efforts of the staff concerned that nuisances from flies can be reduced.

The work of the 12 fly control gangs has recently been reorganized to make their work more effective and on the results of the first six months' observation, the change seems to have been for the better. The number of com- plaints received during the six months, April to Septem- ber, last year was 127 but during the same period over 13,000 breeding places were dealt with by the staff in the ordinary course of their duties. In my opinion it is advis- able to gain more experience of the revised scheme of operation for the fly control gangs before holding any further special campaigns.

MR. WILFRED WONG:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a supplementary question of the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services, through you, whether there are any specific plans or means