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CHAIRMAN:
MR. SALES:
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
No Sir, I am making no such suggestion.
In the circumstances, Sir, will you make representations to the Colonial Secretary that he enter into correspondence with London, to obtain as soon as possible, full information on what is likely to be practised in Great Britain?
CHAIRMAN: I will be glad to put your point to the Colonial Secretary.
MR. SALES: How soon do you think, Sir, will this Council obtain a reply from the Colonial Secretary, without having any regard to the need to refer this matter to London, as we are interested in setting up a commission which will take into account the interest which the Council has for the development of open spaces and recreational facilities in the New Territories?
CHAIRMAN: I do not quite follow the point you are trying to make, Sir. I understand that the reply to the Colonial Secretary on the question of the publication of the White Paper in the United Kingdom will depend upon the date of publication of the White Paper, but as regards setting up the commission for dealing with the countryside here with which this Council would be concerned, as I have said, I will be very glad to forward any representations on that point.
MR. SALES: Thank you.
(3) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
(a) Is it your intention to start a horticultural school so that local staff with the aptitude may acquire the necessary qualifications recognized abroad?
(b) What measures are now taken in the Urban Services Department for the in-service training of gardeners?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
The answer to the first part of the question is that the training requirements for all staff of the Amenities Division are now being studied and a report will be submitted to the Urban Amenities Select Committee in due course. Advanced horticultural training for local staff will be covered in the report, but it is too early to say whether this could best be accomplished by setting up a horticultural school in Hong Kong.
Regarding the second part of the question, we lack a properly organized in-service training scheme for gardeners, but the report on staff training will set out proposals for remedying this.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
411
(4) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
(a) Since this Council wants more public open space, are you consulted at all by the railway authorities before their surplus land is used for purposes not connected with the actual running of the railway?
(b) What control do you exercise over the putting up of hoarding and signboards such as those which are found on railway land by Salisbury Road?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
As I said in answer to a similar question by you at the August Council meeting, all land surplus to the railway's long term requirements has already been placed at the disposal of the Superintendent of Crown Lands and Survey for development in the normal way. In the case of the remaining railway land, the Urban Services Department has on occasion been consulted regarding the temporary use of particular pieces for amenity purposes. But, in view of the Council's interest in this matter, I propose, Sir, to tell the Manager and Chief Engineer of the railway that we would welcome more land being made available on a temporary basis for rest gardens and other amenity purposes.
Regarding the second part of the question, the signboards and hoardings on railway land along Salisbury Road are under the control of the railway authorities. Notwithstanding this, the Council's powers under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and under the Advertisement By-laws extend to advertisements on railway land. These powers relate particularly to advertisements which disfigure the natural beauty of any scenery or affect injuriously the amenities of any locality, but I am not aware that the Council has seen fit to exercise them in relation to the advertisements to which you have referred.
MR. SALES: Sir, Will you instruct your Department to give the relevant Select Committee a full report as to number and content of the signboards and other hoardings on railway land, so that the Select Committee may examine whether our powers in this respect should be exercised as to their removal, because you know that you yourself had, in the past, occasion to take exception to a certain signboard? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: Sir, I got very little support from members of the Council in the matter. I will be glad, Sir, to do what you ask regarding the report.
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82
Page 216 of 382
410
CHAIRMAN:
MR. SALES:
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
No Sir, I am making no such suggestion.
In the circumstances, Sir, will you make representa- tions to the Colonial Secretary that he enter into correspondence with London, to obtain as soon as possible, full information on what is likely to be practised in Great Britain?
CHAIRMAN: I will be glad to put your point to the Colonial Secretary.
MR. SALES: How soon do you think, Sir, will this Council obtain a reply from the Colonial Secretary, without having any regard to the need to refer this matter to London, as we are interested in setting up a commission which will take into account the interest which the Council has for the development of open spaces and recreational facilities in the New Territories?
CHAIRMAN:-I do not quite follow the point you are trying to make, Sir. I understand that the reply to the Colonial Secretary on the question of the publication of the White Paper in the United Kingdom will depend upon the date of publication of the White Paper, but as regards setting up the commission for dealing with the countryside here with which this Council would be concerned, as I have said, I will be very glad to forward any representations on that point.
MR. SALES: --Thank you.
(3) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
(a) Is it your intention to start a horticultural school so that local staff with the aptitude may acquire the necessary qualifications recognized abroad?
(b) What measures are now taken in the Urban Services Department for the in-service training of gardeners?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
The answer to the first part of the question is that the training requirements for all staff of the Amenities Division are now being studied and a report will be submitted to the Urban Amenities Select Committee in due course. Ad- vanced horticultural training for local staff will be covered in the report, but it is too early to say whether this could best be accomplished by setting up a horticultural school in Hong Kong.
Regarding the second part of the question, we lack a properly organized in-service training scheme for gardeners, but the report on staff training will set out proposals for remedying this.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
411
(4) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
(a) Since this Council wants more public open space, are you consulted at all by the railway authorities before their surplus land is used for purposes not connected with the actual running of the railway?
(b) What control do you exercise over the putting up of hoard- ing and signboards such as those which are found on rail- way land by Salisbury Road?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
As I said in answer to a similar question by you at the August Council meeting, all land surplus to the railway's long term requirements has already been placed at the disposal of the Superintendent of Crown Lands and Survey for development in the normal way. In the case of the re- maining railway land, the Urban Services Department has on occasion been consulted regarding the temporary use of particular pieces for amenity purposes. But, in view of the Council's interest in this matter, I propose, Sir, to tell the Manager and Chief Engineer of the railway that we would welcome more land being made available on a temporary basis for rest gardens and other amenity pur- poses.
Regarding the second part of the question, the signboards and hoardings on railway land along Salisbury Road are under the control of the railway authorities. Notwithstanding this, the Council's powers under the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance and under the Advertisement By-laws extend to advertisements on railway land. These powers relate particularly to advertisements which disfigure the natural beauty of any scenery or affect injuriously the amenities of any locality, but I am not aware that the Council has seen fit to exercise them in relation to the advertisements to which you have referred.
MR. SALES: Sir, Will you instruct your Department to give the relevant Select Committee a full report as to number and content of the signboards and other hoardings on railway land, so that the Select Committee may examine whether our powers in this respect should be exercised as to their removal, because you know that you yourself had, in the past, occasion to take exception to a certain signboard? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: ---Sir, I got very little support from members of the Council in the matter. I will be glad, Sir, to do what you ask regarding the report.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.