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MR. BERNACCHI:-I thank the Vice-Chairman for the very full answer, but I would ask him what does he mean in the sentence "Unfortunately, in this, as in other squatter areas, not everyone chooses to use the latrines, and when the latrines are used, they are not always used with care"? Is the reason for the contents coming out under the wooden walls of the lavatory huts because of this or because of the more probable explanation that the latrine accommodation is insufficient?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:--I think, Sir, it is probably a combination of both. I think the latrine accommodation is probably insufficient.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Now, Sir, I would like to ask, and indeed I am somewhat in the dark on this question myself, is it the responsibility of the Resettlement Department in resite or tolerated areas to see that the latrine accommodation is sufficient or is it the responsibility of the Urban Services Department?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-It is the responsibility of the Urban Services Department to provide latrines when my Department opens a resite area or enlarges it, and it is of course our responsibility to inform the Urban Services Department of the opening or the growing population, and to request other departments to take the necessary steps.
MR. BERNACCHI:—So really it is a combination of the two, and again, perhaps the Urban Council serves to correlate the efforts of the two Departments, but, Sir, can better attention be directed to the latrine accommodation in tolerated and resite areas with the coming of the summer months?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-That will be done, Sir.
DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:-
Government is possibly aware that the Report of the Advisory Committee on Library Services, submitted over one year ago, contained recommendations for a revision of the staff structure. Has Government noticed that the Committee stated its belief that these recommendations should be considered whether or not the rest of the Report were adopted; and, if so, is consideration being given to them? Is Government further aware that unless these recommendations are acted upon, the library staff is going to remain unbalanced, and no real provision will be made for training locally recruited staff for senior posts?
Is Government further aware that the failure to act upon these recommendations, and thus to provide career opportunities for junior clerical staff, may be a cause of a slow drain upon the City Hall Library's experienced clerical staff which might be thought already to have begun to manifest itself?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The answers to the two questions in your first paragraph are in the affirmative. The staffing recommendations to which you refer are being actively considered by Government.
As regards the question in your second paragraph, Government does not consider that the present establishment is necessarily unbalanced, pending the outcome of the consideration already referred to, and it has long recognized the need to train locally recruited staff for senior posts. In this connexion, you may be interested to know that arrangements are in hand to send one Library Assistant to the United Kingdom in September next for a one-year post-graduate course in librarianship. In-service training is also given within the City Hall Library to non-professional members of the staff.
With regard to your third paragraph, there have been no applications for transfer from members of the General Clerical Service in the City Hall. A few applications for transfer have been made by Clerical Assistants in the Library, mainly because they do not like the shift duties necessary in the Library. Full consideration is being given to the position of these officers in the general study of the Advisory Committee's recommendations on the staff structure which is now being made.
DR. LEE:-A supplementary to the first paragraph of your answer, Mr. Chairman. When did Government, to your certain knowledge, take an active interest in the staffing requirements of the Library Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN:--Sir, I cannot give you an answer on that point with any precision, but I understand that consideration started some time ago.
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MR. BERNACCHI:-I thank the Vice-Chairman for the very full answer, but I would ask him what does he mean in the sentence "Unfortunately, in this, as in other squatter areas, not everyone chooses to use the latrines, and when the latrines are used, they are not always used with care"? Is the reason for the contents coming out under the wooden walls of the lavatory huts because of this or because of the more probable explanation that the latrine accommodation is in- sufficient?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: --I think, Sir, it is probably a combination of both. I think the latrine accom- modation is probably insufficient.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Now, Sir, I would like to ask, and indeed I am somewhat in the dark on this question myself, is it the responsibility of the Resettlement Department in resite or tolerated areas to see that the latrine accommodation is sufficient or is it the responsibility of the Urban Services Department?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-It is the responsibility of the Urban Services Department to provide latrines when my Department opens a resite area or enlarges it, and it is of course our responsibility to inform the Urban Services Department of the opening or the grow- ing population, and to request other departments to take the necessary steps.
MR. BERNACCHI :— So really it is a combination of the two, and again, perhaps the Urban Council serves to correlate the efforts of the two Departments, but, Sir, can better attention be directed to the latrine accommodation in tolerated and resite areas with the coming of the summer months?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-That will be done, Sir.
DR. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:-
Government is possibly aware that the Report of the Advisory Committee on Library Services, submitted over one year ago, contained recommendations for a revision of the staff structure. Has Government noticed that the Committee stated its belief that these recommendations should be considered whether or not the rest of the Report were adopted; and, if so, is consideration being given to them? Is Government further aware that unless these recommenda- tions are acted upon, the library staff is going to remain
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unbalanced, and no real provision will be made for train- ing locally recruited staff for senior posts?
Is Government further aware that the failure to act upon these recommendations, and thus to provide career oppor- tunities for junior clerical staff, may be a cause of a slow drain upon the City Hall Library's experienced clerical staff which might be thought already to have begun to manifest itself?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows :·
The answers to the two questions in your first paragraph are in the affirmative. The staffing recommendations to which you refer are being actively considered by Govern-
ment.
As regards the question in your second paragraph, Govern- ment does not consider that the present establishment is necessarily unbalanced, pending the outcome of the con- sideration already referred to, and it has long recognized the need to train locally recruited staff for senior posts. In this connexion, you may be interested to know that arrangements are in hand to send one Library Assistant to the United Kingdom in September next for a one year post-graduate course in librarianship. In-service training is also given within the City Hall Library to non-pro- fessional members of the staff.
With regard to your third paragraph, there have been no applications for transfer from members of the General Clerical Service in the City Hall. A few applications for transfer have been made by Clerical Assistants in the Library, mainly because they do not like the shift duties necessary in the Library. Full consideration is being given to the position of these officers in the general study of the Advisory Committee's recommendations on the staff structure which is now being made.
DR. LEE:-A supplementary to the first paragraph of your answer, Mr. Chairman. When did Government, to your certain knowledge, take an active interest in the staffing requirements of the Library Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN: --Sir, I cannot give you an answer on that point with any precision, but I understand that consideration started some time ago.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.