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sioner for Resettlement's reply refer to health standards". The reason was Mr. CHEONG-LEEN didn't ask about health standards. I would need notice of this question and would be very glad to give Dr. BELL a reply in due course.
In clari-
DR. BELL:-I would appreciate a reply Mr. Chairman. fication, may I repeat what I actually said was I noticed that in his reply the Commissioner made no reference to health standards being used to gauge the number of latrines that are required.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I beg your pardon. I thought you meant the health standards of the latrines that are already there.
DR. BELL:-I would have thought that the numbers of latrines that were required would be the prime consideration above everything else. I should be grateful, Mr. Chairman, if you could refer this to the Health Inspectorate and to perhaps the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee of this Council as well as the Resettlement Management Select Committee.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-May I interpose a moment there Mr. Chairman? The Resettlement Management Committee has In fact the nothing to do with the management of the squatter areas. position of these latrines is the responsibility of the Urban Services Department and Urban Council, not of my department. (Laughter).
DR. BELL: Well then, Mr. Chairman, please may we refer it to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, which I think would probably be the appropriate committee to consider it.
CHAIRMAN:-I must confess I have been taking refuge behind my colleague Mr. BARTY. Dr. BELL, have you any evidence that the health conditions in this particular area are below standard?
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, it is unusual to answer a question from the chair. (Laughter). I have no evidence beyond what the figures state. If there is one latrine to 240 persons there must be a health risk. There was recently an article which I read in one of the municipal journals which was circulated to this Council, which pointed out the immense risk to health from all toilets, and the amount of organisms which collect around all toilets. Now I cannot imagine how they can compare with one of these hillside latrines which we have, in a climate such as this, where we have the risk of typhoid just now, and we have all been advised to have typhoid inoculations; and there is in the summer the risk of cholera. Therefore I should still point out Mr. Chairman that I consider that the lack of latrines in each of these areas must be a health risk.
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CHAIRMAN:-Dr. BELL, the point of the answer is that the latrines provided at present are not over-used, whatever the ratio figure of latrines per number of persons. There is no actual evidence that they are over-used.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could I in turn ask you another question, which is, have you evidence, or do you know, how many people are simply using a receptacle in their homes and burying it or throwing it around the hillsides, rather than use the latrines?
CHAIRMAN :-Dr. BELL, you have made yourself very clear-as clear as a bell I might say, (Laughter) I will do what I can to have this matter referred to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
DR. BELL:Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN : Sir, will you please draw the attention of the committee concerned that in the case of the Kowloon Bay re-site area, a ratio of 1-100 has been established, and I think it is quite relevant in the case of this particular area as well.
(12)
CHAIRMAN: -Yes.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:·
(a) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise how many welfare agencies are operating in resettlement estates which provide scholarships for primary school age children?
(b) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement enquire from the Director of Social Welfare as to the approximate number of children of primary school age living in resettlement estates who are receiving scholarships from welfare agencies?
(c) As there are 20,860 children of primary school age living in resettlement estates who are not going to school, can the Commissioner ascertain from the Director of Social Welfare whether scholarships would be made available to these children should application be so made by their parents?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
(a) I understand that there are 12 agencies which include in their programmes schemes for payment of or assistance with school fees and related expenses. These agencies do not of course confine their activities to resettlement estates.
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sioner for Resettlement's reply refer to health standards". The reason was Mr. CHEONG-LEEN didn't ask about health standards. I would need notice of this question and would be very glad to give Dr. BELL a reply in due course.
In clari-
DR. BELL:-I would appreciate a reply Mr. Chairman. fication, may I repeat what I actually said was I noticed that in his reply the Commissioner made no reference to health standards being used to gauge the number of latrines that are required.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I beg your pardon. I thought you meant the health standards of the latrines that are already there.
DR. BELL:-I would have thought that the numbers of latrines that were required would be the prime consideration above everything else. I should be grateful, Mr. Chairman, if you could refer this to the Health Inspectorate and to perhaps the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee of this Council as well as the Resettlement Manage- ment Select Committee.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-May I interpose a moment there Mr. Chairman? The Resettlement Management Committee has In fact the nothing to do with the management of the squatter areas. position of these latrines is the responsibility of the Urban Services Department and Urban Council, not of my department. (Laughter).
DR. BELL: Well then, Mr. Chairman, please may we refer it to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, which I think would probably be the appropriate committee to consider it.
CHAIRMAN:-I must confess I have been taking refuge behind my colleague Mr. BARTY. Dr. BELL, have you any evidence that the health conditions in this particular area are below standard?
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, it is unusual to answer a question from the chair. (Laughter). I have no evidence beyond what the figures state. If there is one latrine to 240 persons there must be a health risk. There was recently an article which I read in one of the municipal journals which was circulated to this Council, which pointed out the immense risk to health from all toilets, and the amount of organisms which collect around all toilets. Now I cannot imagine how they can compare with one of these hillside latrines which we have, in a climate such as this, where we have the risk of typhoid just now, and we have all been advised to have typhoid inoculations; and there is in the summer the risk of cholera. Therefore I should still point out Mr. Chairman that I consider that the lack of latrines in each of these areas must be a health risk.
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135
CHAIRMAN:-Dr. BELL, the point of the answer is that the latrines provided at present are not over-used, whatever the ratio figure of latrines per number of persons. There is no actual evidence that they are over-used.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could I in turn ask you another ques- tion, which is, have you evidence, or do you know, how many people are simply using a receptacle in their homes and burying it or throwing it around the hillsides, rather than use the latrines?
CHAIRMAN :-Dr. BELL, you have made yourself very clear-as clear as a bell I might say, (Laughter) I will do what I can to have this matter referred to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
DR. BELL:Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN : Sir, will you please draw the attention of the committee concerned that in the case of the Kowloon Bay re-site area, a ratio of 1-100 has been established, and I think it is quite relevant in the case of this particular area as well.
(12)
CHAIRMAN: -Yes.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:·
(a) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement please advise how many welfare agencies are operating in resettlement estates which provide scholarships for primary school age children?
(b) Can the Commissioner for Resettlement enquire from the Director of Social Welfare as to the approximate number of children of primary school age living in resettlement estates who are receiving scholarships from welfare agencies?
(c) As there are 20,860 children of primary school age living in resettlement estates who are not going to school, can the Commissioner ascertain from the Director of Social Welfare whether scholarships would be made available to these children should application be so made by their parents?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
(a) I understand that there are 12 agencies which include in their programmes schemes for payment of or assistance with school fees and related expenses. These agencies do not of course confine their activities to resettlement estates.
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