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issue. Without in any way prejudging the case, the Director of Social Welfare and I have meanwhile jointly investigated the circumstances of the families concerned. The mother of the injured boy was found to be in need of immediate relief, which was given by the Social Welfare Department. In addition, I have been authorized to offer, and have offered, an initial ex gratia payment of $2,000 to each of these three families, on account of any compensation which may later be due and payable by Government.
MR. BERNACCHI :—Mr. Chairman, if the lorry is ultimately held to have been at fault, there is, under the Crown Proceedings Ordinance, 1957, no question of ex gratia payment. Is the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs making it clear to the relatives, to whom this ex gratia payment is offered, that their acceptance of it will not affect any claim that they may ultimately have by way of action, if it is not settled by Government?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS :—Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN :—Can the Secretary for Chinese Affairs state whether any of the families have already received this ex gratia payment?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS :—Yes, Sir. The mother of the injured boy has accepted. The other two immediate dependants have said that they do not wish to accept it yet pending a decision on the matter. They have been given the offer, and as soon as they wish to receive it, they will.
MR. BERNACCHI :—Arising out of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs' answer to Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's supplementary, is not the position this: that they have not been made clearly to understand that acceptance of this payment will not prejudice further payments?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS :—To the best of my knowledge, they have been so made to understand, but there are, of course, the possibilities of misunderstanding, Mr. Chairman, and I will certainly follow this up again to make it quite clear to them that they are not in any way prejudicing their right at all.
(10) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Will the Director of Urban Services Department please state how often are Urban Services Department refuse collection lorries and other vehicles serviced during a financial year?
(b) Are there any refuse collection lorries being used round-the-clock; if so, what steps have been taken in the past, prior to the recent accident, to keep these lorries in serviceable condition?
(c) Has the Urban Services Department considered the feasibility of having its own Repair Section for the refuse collection lorries and other vehicles which are used by the Department?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
The programme of servicing of Urban Services Department refuse collection and other vehicles is laid down by the Government Electrical & Mechanical Engineer of the Public Works Department. All vehicles are scheduled for servicing at least once every six weeks, except refuse collection trailers which are serviced every eight weeks. Throughout the past summer, all our refuse collection vehicles were extensively used. The extra work involved in restoring normal services after successive typhoons disrupted the vehicle servicing programme, with the result that a number of refuse collection vehicles continued to be used beyond the date when they should have been sent to workshops for servicing and routine inspection. All such vehicles have now been withdrawn and are being returned to service as and when their inspection and, if necessary, overhaul is completed. There are at present no refuse collection vehicles on the road which are overdue for servicing, but it will be necessary to continue to hire lorries until new refuse vehicles arrive early in 1965. With regard to part (b) of the question, although no vehicles are worked round the clock, about 20% of the fleet works 16 hours a day. There is, of course, no reason why vehicles should not be worked 24 hours a day, provided they receive a visual inspection by a responsible officer at least once in every 24 hours and are withdrawn for thorough examination and servicing by workshops at appropriately shortened intervals.
With regard to part (c) of the question, the Government Electrical & Mechanical Engineer is the competent authority to attend to the servicing and repairs of all types of Urban Services Department motor vehicles, and it is not considered necessary to duplicate his repair and servicing facilities, although minor maintenance, e.g., punctures, are dealt with by the Urban Services Department garage staff. Recent increases in the Government
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issue. Without in any way prejudging the case, the Director of Social Welfare and I have meanwhile jointly investigated the circumstances of the families concerned. The mother of the injured boy was found to be in need of immediate relief, which was given by the Social Wel- fare Department. In addition I have been authorized to offer, and have offered, an initial ex gratia payment of $2,000 to each of these three families, on account of any compensation which may later be due and payable by Government.
MR. BERNACCHI :—Mr. Chairman, if the lorry is ultimately held to have been at fault, there is, under the Crown Proceedings Ordinance, 1957, no question of ex gratia payment. Is the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs making it clear to the relatives, to whom this ex gratia payment is offered, that their acceptance of it will not affect any claim that they may ultimately have by way of action, if it is not settled by Govern- ment?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS:-Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Can the Secretary for Chinese Affairs state whether any of the families have already received this ex gratia pay- ment?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS: -Yes, Sir. The mother of the injured boy has accepted. The other two immediate dependants have said that they do not wish to accept it yet pending a decision on the matter. They have been given the offer, and as soon as they wish to receive it, they will.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Arising out of the Secretary for Chinese Affairs' answer to Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's supplementary, is not the position this: that they have not been made clearly to understand that acceptance of this payment will not prejudice further payments?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS: To the best of my knowledge, they have been so made to understand, but there are, of course, the possibilities of misunderstanding, Mr. Chairman, and I will certainly follow this up again to make it quite clear to them that they are not in any way prejudicing their right at all.
(10) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Will the Director of Urban Services Department please state how often are Urban Services Department refuse collection lorries and other vehicles serviced during a financial year?
(b) Are there any refuse collection lorries being used round- the-clock; if so, what steps have been taken in the past, prior to the recent accident, to keep these lorries in serviceable condition?
(c) Has the Urban Services Department considered the feasibility of having its own Repair Section for the refuse collection lorries and other vehicles which are used by the Department?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
The programme of servicing of Urban Services Department refuse collection and other vehicles is laid down by the Government Electrical & Mechanical Engineer of the Public Works Department. All vehicles are scheduled for servicing at least once every six weeks, except refuse collection trailers which are serviced every eight weeks. Throughout the past summer all our refuse collection vehicles were extensively used. The extra work involved in restoring normal services after successive typhoons dis- rupted the vehicle servicing programme, with the result that a number of refuse collection vehicles continued to be used beyond the date when they should have been sent to workshops for servicing and routine inspection. All such vehicles have now been withdrawn and are being returned to service as and when their inspection and, if necessary, overhaul is completed. There are at present no refuse collection vehicles on the road which are over- due for servicing, but it will be necessary to continue to hire lorries until new refuse vehicles arrive early in 1965. With regard to part (b) of the question, although no vehicles are worked round the clock, about 20% of the fleet works 16 hours a day. There is, of course, no reason why vehicles should not be worked 24 hours a day, provided they receive a visual inspection by a responsible officer at least once in every 24 hours and are withdrawn for thorough examination and servicing by workshops at appropriately shortened intervals.
With regard to part (c) of the question, the Government Electrical & Mechanical Engineer is the competent authority to attend to the servicing and repairs of all types of Urban Services Department motor vehicles and it is not considered necessary to duplicate his repair and servicing facilities, although minor maintenance, e.g., punctures are dealt with by the Urban Services Depart- ment garage staff. Recent increases in the Government
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