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He has contracted to do a job at a certain price within a certain time, and I think we could certainly draw his attention to the fact if he was slow in completing a contract. I would say that this would be fairly good proof that he had not been carrying out the contract to the best of his ability and it might be a reason for invoking the penalty clause, but I can only repeat that contractors do have rights in this Colony.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question through you to the Director of Public Works. I am under the impression that roads in the Colony are always in a state of repair or in a state of digging up. Why should we have this state of affairs?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I thought, Mr. Chairman, I had answered that question about 10 to 15 minutes ago, but I am prepared to repeat the answer. I think it can't be repeated often enough. The main reason is that old buildings which often contain 20 or 30 people are being pulled down and replaced by buildings which contain two or three thousand people, and these two or three thousand people require a water supply and produce as much sewage as a small town. As a result, as these new buildings are put up, we have to put in services not only in the length of the road to take the mains, but also across the roads to keep up with these new developments. This is going on all over Kowloon and all over Hong Kong and as it goes on we have to keep up with them. We could very easily stop digging up the roads if we gave no water supply and no drainage connections, but I feel then that the Chairman of the Urban Council and the Vice-Chairman of this Council would be after me as well as Dr. LEE and all the Chairmen of the various Select Committees (Laughter).
(8) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
In view of the many occasions when this Council finds necessity to identify itself to the public, either by its name or a symbol, such as during the 'Keep Your District Clean' campaigns, can consideration be given to the designing of an emblem suitable for use by the Council?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
This proposal appears to me to be both sensible and practical and with your concurrence, Sir, I will refer it to the Council in Committee of the Whole for consideration.
MR. MARDEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask under what Standing Order the Chairman reserves all the short answers for himself? (Laughter).
MR. RAFEEK:-Thank you Mr. Chairman.
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MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I ask you to clarify the term which you used. You said here "I will refer it to the Council in Committee of the Whole for consideration". Perhaps I am rather ignorant of Standing Orders, but according to Standing Order 22, Section 2, it is the Standing Committee of the Whole Council to which you must refer this matter unless it is your intention that Council should go into Committee of the Whole which is not the practice in such circumstances. MR. CHAIRMAN:-Yes, it is the Standing Committee to which it should be referred.
MR. SALES: -May I have your answer then corrected? (Laughter). MR. BERNACCHI : I rise, Mr. Chairman, in your defence. You could equally well refer it to the Council in Committee of the Whole.
MR. SALES-May I apologize to Mr. BERNACCHI for questioning so learned a person as a Queen's Counsel in matters of committee procedure, but according to Robert's "Rules of Order", there is a vast difference between a Standing Committee of the Whole Council and the Council going into Committee of the Whole. That is entirely a different committee device.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. SALES almost tempts me to move that this Council now go into a Committee of the Whole.
MR. SALES: I would like to second that Sir (Laughter).
(9) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Is it true, as reported in the press, that 500 families living in the newly completed 16-storey Block 13 in Chai Wan Resettlement Estate were without electricity for several weeks since they moved into resettlement accommodation on or about 1st August, 1965?
(b) Is it correct as reported in the press, that the Resettlement Department has stated that the Hong Kong Electric Co., Ltd. has delayed the supply of power to these 500 families? (c) What further steps can or are being taken to ensure that electricity will be provided to new resettlement residents with the very minimum of delay?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
In reply to the first part of the question, the press reports on this subject did not give a very true or comprehensive picture. The first intakes into Block 13, a 16-storey Mark ...
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He has contracted to do a job at a certain price within a certain time, and I think we could certainly draw his attention to the fact if he was slow in completing a contract. I would say that this would be fairly good proof that he had not been carrying out the contract to the best of his ability and it might be a reason for invoking the penalty clause, but I can only repeat that contractors do have rights in this Colony.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question through you to the Director of Public Works. I am under the impression that roads in the Colony are always in a state of repair or in a state of digging up. Why should we have this state of affairs?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I thought, Mr. Chairman, I had answered that question about 10 to 15 minutes ago, but I am prepared to repeat the answer. I think it can't be repeated often enough. The main reason is that old buildings which often contain 20 or 30 people are being pulled down and replaced by buildings which contain two or three thousand people, and these two or three thousand people require a water supply and produce as much sewage as a small town. Ās a result, as these new buildings are put up, we have to put in services not only in the length of the road to take the mains, but also across the roads to keep up with these new developments. This is going on all over Kowloon and all over Hong Kong and as it goes on we have to keep up with them. We could very easily stop digging up the roads if we gave no water supply and no drainage connections, but I feel then that the Chairman of the Urban Council and the Vice-Chairman of this Council would be after me as well as Dr. LEE and all the Chair- man of the various Select Committees (Laughter).
(8) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
In view of the many occasions when this Council finds necessity to identify itself to the public, either by its name of a symbol, such as during the 'Keep Your District Clean' campaigns, can consideration be given to the designing of an emblem suitable for use by the Council?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
This proposal appears to me to be both sensible and practical and with your concurrence, Sir, I will refer it to the Council in Committee of the Whole for consideration.
MR. MARDEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask under what Standing Order the Chairman reserves all the short answers for himself? (Laughter).
MR. RAFEEK:-Thank you Mr. Chairman.
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MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I ask you to clarify the term which you used. You said here "I will refer it to the Council in Com- mittee of the Whole for consideration". Perhaps I am rather ignorant of Standing Orders, but according to Standing Order 22, Section 2, it is the Standing Committee of the Whole Council to which you must refer this matter unless it is your intention that Council should go into Committee of the Whole which is not the practice in such circumstances. MR. CHAIRMAN:-Yes, it is the Standing Committee to which it should be referred.
MR. SALES: -May I have your answer then corrected? (Laughter). MR. BERNACCHI : I rise, Mr. Chairman, in your defence. You could equally well refer it to the Council in Committee of the Whole.
MR. SALES-May I apologize to Mr. BERNACCHI for questioning so learned a person as a Queen's Counsel in matters of committee procedure, but according to Robert's "Rules of Order", there is a vast difference between a Standing Committee of the Whole Council and the Council going into Committee of the Whole. That is entirely a different committee device.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. SALES almost tempts me to move that this Council now go into a Committee of the Whole.
MR. SALES: I would like to second that Sir (Laughter).
(9) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
ہے
(a) It it true, as reported in the press, that 500 families living in the newly completed 16-storey Block 13 in Chai Wan Resettlement Eastate were without electricity for serveral weeks since they moved into resettlement accommodation on or about 1st August, 1965?
(b) Is it correct as reported in the press, that the Resettlement Department has stated that the Hong Kong Electric Co., Ltd. has delayed the supply of power to these 500 families? (c) What further steps can or are being taken to ensure that electricity will be provided to new resettlement residents with the very minimum of delay?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
In reply to the first part of the question, the press reports on this subject did not give a very true or comprehensive picture. The first intakes into Block 13, a 16-storey Mark
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