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DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I should say, Sir, it is as bad, not worse.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does that mean it is very bad? Mr. Chairman, with reference to the third paragraph of the reply by the Vice-Chairman, to refresh my memory, was there any specific recommendation made by the Working Party in regard to overcrowding in occupied premises?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS:-If my recollection is correct, Mr. Chairman, it was understood that there was to be no public debate or comment on that Report until Government has considered it.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, is there any idea yet as to when this Report will be made available to the public?
CHAIRMAN:-I have no definite information yet.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-How many months is it since this Report was presented to Government, Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN:-The Report was forwarded to Government towards the end of December 1963.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Would you be good enough, Mr. Chairman, to enquire from Government when it is anticipated or expected that this Report will be made available to the public and that its reply be read out at the next meeting of the Council?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you, Sir.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
Will the Chairman please state:
(a) Whether officers of the Urban Services Department have been regularly visiting the estimated 8,000 new and empty premises which do not pay rates to ensure that they are not infested by rats, mosquitoes and flies?
(b) If so, will the Chairman please give full details of these visits?
(c) When complaints concerning infestation by rats, mosquitoes and flies are received in regard to new and empty premises which do not pay rates, is the Urban Services Department required by law to take appropriate action?
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(d) Would this be considered as free service to the owners of the premises concerned?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
Health Inspectors of the Urban Services Department conduct house inspection of all premises according to the schedule approved by the Council whether the premises are occupied or not. It is unusual to find nuisances such as infestation by rats, mosquitoes and flies in unoccupied premises but if they are discovered they are dealt with in the usual way. That is to say, a notice is served on the owner requiring him to abate the nuisance; direct action is taken by the staff of the department in the meantime if necessary.
Only one case has been recorded this year when mosquito breeding was found in stagnant water in the ground floor of an unoccupied building. This was oiled by departmental staff and summonses have been applied for against the owners concerned.
The answer to the third and fourth parts of the question is that the Department is empowered, not required, to take action when nuisances exist regardless of whether they are found in occupied premises, vacant premises or on open ground. When abatement of the nuisance is urgent, the work is done immediately by departmental staff and this is the usual course when infestation by rats, mosquitoes or flies is discovered. The Department is also empowered to recover the cost of the work though this is not done in the case of the three types of nuisance referred to where the costs involved are usually very little.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, is this sort of service to unoccupied premises considered as a free service provided by the Urban Council and Urban Services Department?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I think I have answered that in the last part of my reply.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I put my question in another way, Mr. Chairman? Why was it not thought fit by the Department to institute charges for any work done, considering the fact that no rates are paid on empty, new domestic premises?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-The point is, Mr. Chairman, that the costs of the work done are not worth...
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DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I should say, Sir, it is as bad, not worse.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does that mean it is very bad? Mr. Chair- man, with reference to the third paragraph of the reply by the Vice- Chairman, to refresh my memory, was there any specific recommenda- tion made by the Working Party in regard to overcrowding in occupied premises?
SECRETARY FOR CHINESE AFFAIRS:-If my recollection is correct, Mr. Chairman, it was understood that there was to be no public debate or comment on that Report until Government has considered it.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, is there any idea yet as to when this Report will be made available to the public?
CHAIRMAN:-I have no definite information yet.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-How many months is it since this Report was presented to Government, Mr. Chairman?
CHAIRMAN:
The Report was forwarded to Government towards
the end of December 1963.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Would you be good enough, Mr. Chairman, to enquire from Government when it is anticipated or expected that this Report will be made available to the public and that its reply be read out at the next meeting of the Council?
CHAIRMAN:-Yes, Sir.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you, Sir.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
Will the Chairman please state:
(a) Whether officers of the Urban Services Department have been regularly visiting the estimated 8,000 new and empty premises which do not pay rates to ensure that they are not infested by rats, mosquitoes and flies?
(b) If so, will the Chairman please give full details of these
visits?
(c) When complaints concerning infestation by rats, mos- quitoes and flies are received in regard to new and empty premises which do not pay rates, is the Urban Services Department required by law to take appropriate action?
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93
(d) Would this be considered as free service to the owners
of the premises concerned?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
Health Inspectors of the Urban Services Department conduct house inspection of all premises according to the schedule approved by the Council whether the premises are occupied or not. It is unusual to find nuisances such as infestation by rats, mosquitoes and flies in unoccupied premises but if they are discovered they are dealt with in the usual way. That is to say, a notice is served on the owner requiring him to abate the nuisance; direct action is taken by the staff of the department in the meantime if necessary.
Only one case has been recorded this year when mosquito breeding was found in stagnant water in the ground floor of an unoccupied building. This was oiled by depart- mental staff and summonses have been applied for against the owners concerned.
The answer to the third and fourth parts of the question is that the Department is empowered, not required, to take action when nuisances exist regardless of whether they are found in occupied premises, vacant premises or on open ground. When abatement of the nuisance is urgent, the work is done immediately by departmental staff and this is the usual course when infestation by rats, mos- quitoes or flies is discovered. The Department is also empowered to recover the cost of the work though this is not done in the case of the three types of nuisance re- ferred to where the costs involved are usually very little.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:---Mr. Chairman, is this sort of service to un- occupied premises considered as a free service provided by the Urban Council and Urban Services Department?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I think I have answered that in the last part of my reply.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I put my question in another way, Mr. Chairman? Why was it not thought fit by the Department to in- stitute charges for any work done, considering the fact that no rates are paid on empty, new domestic premises?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-The point is, Mr. Chairman, that the costs of the work done are not worth
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