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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The other matter that I would like to comment on is on page 11, paragraph 78:- "Sergeant YOUNG Shiu-man was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital after a person unknown had thrown corrosive acid on his face whilst he was on duty at the Central Reclamation Hawker Bazaar." The Select Committee were shown photographs of his face, and they showed terrible disfigurement. As Chairman of the Select Committee I have already asked you, Sir, to approach the Police to ensure indeed that police inquiries are still being conducted, because if we allow one of our senior Hawker Control Force Sergeants to suffer damage for life in such a way whilst on duty, apart from the lowering of the morale of the Hawker Control Force generally, it will give dissident hawkers—and I imagine that only a very, very, very small number of hawkers would go to that extreme—but a very small number of hawkers might go to that extreme, if the hawker that inflicted this disfigurement on Sergeant YOUNG is allowed to get away with it. I think the whole of the Select Committee views this attack on Sergeant YOUNG, an attack from behind, not face to face even, with very, very great dissatisfaction, and I hope indeed that the person responsible for it can be found and I would, on behalf of the Select Committee, like in public to express our sympathy to Sergeant YOUNG, who was one of the first Sergeants in the Hawker Control Force who rose up from the ranks of the Hawker Control Force and didn't come in from the Police to be a Sergeant of the Hawker Control Force. I really do consider it doubly unfortunate that this particular Sergeant should have been subject to that particular injury. I would like to say this in public.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: — Arising out of Mr. BERNACCHI's remarks, would it be in order for me to express my appreciation for his kind remarks about Mr. YUSUF and the staff of the Chai Wan Estate? I shall be very happy to forward these remarks to them.
CHAIRMAN: — Arising out of Mr. BERNACCHI's remarks, I would like to say, very briefly in reference to the details in the monthly report on the Ward System, that I take note of what he has said and I make the suggestion that in future the ward clerks at the end of each month should show to all Members their records of the number of cases for that month, and obtain Members' consent to the figures.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: — Mr. Chairman, I am sorry to butt in, but I believe I am right in saying that the Ward clerk at Chai Wan is an officer of the Resettlement Department, and I think there may be some confusion when Mr. BERNACCHI visits Chai Wan, as to whether he is doing so as the visiting Member of the estate (Laughter) or the Ward Councillor for Chai Wan.
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CHAIRMAN: — Well, Sir, we will introduce the system that I have suggested.
As regards hawkers, again I take note of the remarks of the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee concerning charge cases. I will take this up with the Commandant of the Hawker Control Force. In regard to the injured Sergeant, I would only say that it is my understanding that the Criminal Investigation Department is making intensive efforts to find the culprit.
MR. WONG: — Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee, I wish to speak on the subject of the licensing procedure. There has been some talk about delays in the licensing procedure, and I would like to say that the Food and Food Premises Select Committee has gone into the mechanism of the different stages of licensing procedure with a view to streamlining them, thus giving the applicants the necessary information for implementing the regulations within the shortest period of time. The Food and Food Premises Select Committee is aiming to make it administratively possible for an applicant to obtain a restaurant licence in 28 days, provided that the applicant is capable of fulfilling the requirements laid down by the Council, which are, of course, designed to protect public health and safety.
QUESTIONS.
(1) MR. LI YIU-BOR asked the following question:
Will the Chairman tell this Council—
(a) the approximate number of schools in Sau Mau Ping Resettlement Estate;
(b) whether there is an adequate provision of school places for children of school age there; and
(c) if not, what steps he will consider taking jointly with the Director of Education to remedy the situation?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
The answer to the first two parts of the question is that there are at present no schools in this estate.
The answer to the third part of the question is that children living in the estate can and do receive primary education at schools in the adjoining Kwun Tong estate, where there are still 167 vacancies in subsidized and 607 in private primary schools. At Sau Mau Ping itself, one standard 24 classroom estate school will be ready in July this year, and four more are under construction in Stage II of the
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Page 55 of 279
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The other matter that I would like to comment on is on page 11, paragraph 78:-"Sergeant YOUNG Shiu-man was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital after a person unknown had thrown corrosive acid on his face whilst he was on duty at the Central Reclamation Hawker Bazaar." The Select Committee were shown photographs of his face, and they showed terrible disfigurement. As Chairman of the Select Committee I have already asked you, Sir, to approach the Police to see-to ensure indeed-that police inquiries are still being conducted, because if we allow one of our senior Hawker Control Force Sergeants to suffer damage for life in such a way whilst on duty, apart from the lowering of the morale of the Hawker Control Force generally, it will give dissident hawkers-and I imagine that only a very, very, very small number of hawkers would go to that extreme-but a very small number of hawkers might go to that extreme, if the hawker that inflicted this disfigurement on Sergeant YOUNG is allowed to get away with it. I think the whole of the Select Committee views this attack on Sergeant YOUNG, an attack from behind, not face to face even, with very, very great dissatisfaction, and I hope indeed that the person responsible for it can be found and I would, on behalf of the Select Committee, like in public to express our sympathy to Sergeant YOUNG, who was one of the first Sergeants in the Hawker Control Force who rose up from the ranks of the Hawker Control Force and didn't come in from the Police to be a Sergeant of the Hawker Control Force. I really do con- sider it doubly unfortunate that this particular Sergeant should have been subject to that particular injury. I would like to say this in public.
COMMISSIONER
RESETTLEMENT: —Arising FOR
out of Mr. BERNACCHI's remarks, would it be in order for me to express my appre- ciation for his kind remarks about Mr. YUSUF and the staff of the Chai Wan Estate? I shall be very happy to forward these remarks to them.
CHAIRMAN: --Arising out of Mr. BERNACCHI's remarks, I would like to say, very briefly in reference to the details in the monthly report on the Ward System, that I take note of what he has said and I make the suggestion that in future the ward clerks at the end of each month should show to all Members their records of the number of cases for that month, and obtain Members' consent to the figures.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, I am sorry to butt in, but I believe I am right in saying that the Ward clerk at Chai Wan is an officer of the Resettlement Department, and I think there may be some confusion when Mr. BERNACCHI visits Chai Wan, as to whether he is doing so as the visiting Member of the estate (Laughter) or the Ward Councillor for Chai Wan.
}
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
89
CHAIRMAN:-Well, Sir, we will introduce the system that I have
suggested.
As regards hawkers, again I take note of the remarks of the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee concerning charge cases. I will take this up with the Commandant of the Hawker Control Force. In regard to the injured Sergeant, I would only say that it is my understanding that the Criminal Investigation Department is making intensive efforts to find the culprit.
MR. WONG:-Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee, I wish to speak on the subject of the licensing procedure. There has been some talk about delays in the licensing procedure, and I would like to say that the Food and Food Premises Select Committee has gone into the mechanism of the different stages of licensing procedure with a view to streamlining them, thus giving the applicants the necessary information for implementing the regulations within the shortest period of time. The Food and Food Premises Select Committee is aiming to make it administratively possible for an applicant to obtain a restaurant licence in 28 days, provided that the applicant is capable of fulfilling the requirements laid down by the Council, which are, of course, designed to protect public health and safety.
QUESTIONS.
(1) MR. LI YIU-BOR asked the following question:
Will the Chairman tell this Council-
(a) the approximate number of schools in Sau Mau Ping
Resettlement Estate;
(b) whether there is an adequate provision of school
places for children of school age there; and
(c) if not, what steps he will consider taking jointly with the Director of Education to remedy the situation?
THE COMMISSioner for ResETTLEMENT replied as follows :·
The answer to the first two parts of the question is that there
are at present no schools in this estate.
The answer to the third part of the question is that children living in the estate can and do receive primary education at schools in the adjoining Kwun Tong estate, where there are still 167 vacancies in subsidized and 607 in private primary schools. At Sau Mau Ping itself, one standard 24 classroom estate school will be ready in July this year, and four more are under construction in Stage II of the
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