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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

(c) Are any measures being taken by the Resettlement Depart-

ment?

THE COMMISSioner for ReSETTLEMENT replied as follows:-

I answered a similar question about Tsz Fa lotteries in resettle- ment estates at the April meeting. The substance of my reply was that I was aware that gambling was liable to occur in resettlement estates in the same way that it occurred elsewhere. I also said that neither the Commis- sioner of Police nor I had any evidence that it was a highly organized racket in resettlement estates and that while the Commissioner of Police exerted a steady pres- sure against all forms of illegal activity throughout Hong Kong, he did not concentrate specifically in resettlement estates to suppress gambling.

If Mr. Hu can provide me with the details as to where gambling is taking place in Wang Tau Hom, which is an estate of 68,000 persons housed in 26 blocks, I should be glad to pass on the information to the Police.

MR. HENRY H. L. HU:-I am grateful for Mr. WAKEFIELD's answer. The places where gambling occurs are the common staircases which do not belong to any particular block. If I have any further information I shall be very glad to pass it on. It is the duty of the Police to find out where gambling is taking place? Although we also have a duty to report these matters to the Police, I think that they should also find these things out for themselves. Would that be right?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -Mr. Chairman, I think the Commissioner of Police and his staff are well aware of their duties.

MR. B. A. BERNACCHI-Has any member of the Resettlement staff any special rights in regard to taking out summonses or even making arrests when he come across gambling actually taking place-illegal gambling?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -None at all, Mr. Chairman. All that he can do is to report to the nearest police constable who will then deal with the matter.

(16) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:-

(a) Is it a fact that during lunch time there are over 10,000 school children crossing over the streets in the Wang Tau Hom and Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Areas?

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(b) Are any special traffic measures being taken to safeguard

the safety of such school children?

(c) Should particular attention be paid to the junction of

Junction Road, Lo Fu Ngam Street and Fu Mei Street? (d) Is it desirable that the parking on both sides of the Fu

Mei Street be prohibited?

THE COMMISSIoner for ReseTTLEMENT replied as follows:-

In reply to the first part of the question, as there are over 30 schools in the area of Wang Tau Hom and Wong Tai Sin resettlement estates, it is quite likely that there may be 10,000 school children going to and from school there during the day. As far as their safety in traffic is con- cerned, Wang Tau Hom estate is particularly well provided with roadside railings. It is intended that pedestrian cross- ings will be provided there eventually. In Wong Tai Sin estate there are two pedestrian crossings over, and a pedes- trian subway under, Lung Cheung Road; there are stud crossings in Tung Tau Tsuen Road and in Sha Tin Pass Road there is a central divider with one opening in it. Parking in the majority of side streets in the Wong Tai Sin estate is prohibited, although there are some parking spaces provided for private and goods vehicles at selected places on one side of the road only. No special Police duties are undertaken at traffic junctions in these estates, as the existing safety measures are considered adequate. In reply to the second part of the question, as regards traffic safety instructions for school children, a Police Road Safety Officer frequently visits schools in these two estates and gives talks to children. Headmasters of schools have been advised to apply through the Director of Education for school crossing permits. Road safety demonstrations, films, etc., have been organized by the Police under the auspices of the Wong Tai Sin Kaifong Association.

In reply to the third part of the question, in the opinion of the Police, the volume of traffic at the junction of Lo Fu Ngam, Fu Mei and Junction Roads can be classed as medium, not heavy. As such, no particular attention need be paid to the junction for the time being.

In reply to the last part of the question, no parking is allowed on either side of Fu Mei Street in Wang Tau Hom estate, and "No waiting" signs are erected along most of the street except for the end near Fung Mo Road where no parking is allowed in any case. Parking is also not allow- ed in Lo Fu Ngam Road.