1967 — Page 124

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN:-Well, Sir, I really should ask my colleague the Director of Public Works to answer this question. It means in my opinion low in altitude. There are quite a number of buildings already on this piece of ground, of which the land in which Mr. Hu is interested forms only a part, and they all appeared to me on a visit to be no more than two-storeys high.

DR. BELL:--Mr. Chairman, while Mr. Hu is looking Standing Order 8(4) up, could I ask you what is the objection? Why must it be so negative a reply? You said the land is up for sale; it has not yet been sold and presumably it will be some time before it is sold. Could you not, in the meantime, put some park benches there for people to sit on?

CHAIRMAN: ---No, Dr. BELL, the four pill boxes on the site are a formidable obstacle to developing the area as a recreational area.

DR. BELL:-Would they not be good to play in?

CHAIRMAN: ---No, Dr. BELL, they are insalubrious. I do not know how deep they are, but the amount that shows above ground is about 2 feet.

MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, with regard to Standing Order 8(4) you have already answered my question, so I will not say anything about that. (Laughter).

DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, just to take you up on a point that you made there about pill boxes being insalubrious. Are we respon- sible for that? I mean I know we are not responsible for making them insalubrious, but are we responsible for making them not insalubrious? (Laughter).

CHAIRMAN:-What I mean is that at the moment the ground where the pill boxes are is vacant. It is overgrown with bushes and trees and people do not penetrate into it except along one or two paths. If we cleared this area we should have children running in and out, and I would not like to be responsible for how they behaved in the pill boxes.

MOTIONS.

(1) DR. P. F. Woo moved the following motion:-

That in future on every motion passed at a public meeting of the Council the Chairman shall, on receipt of information, make an announcement at a public meeting of the imple- mentation or action taken, and that if no information is received after three months an explanation shall be given by the Chairman at the next public meeting.

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He said:-Mr. Chairman, I have no doubt you are fully aware that often members of this Council have great concern for the public relations and the people's image of the Council. Being one of the 1956 vintage, my service in this Council about to end, I have for the last couple of years given much thought to ways of improving and publicizing the work of the Council. The recent unpleasant experience I had with the Council's administration had prompted me to ask in the last Council Meeting the question of how the members' motions and questions should be followed up. I was unaware, Sir, that the meeting day was also your birthday and if I had in any way upset you on that day I must tender my apology. And today may I have your indulgence to speak on the same subject.

We are all here gathered together to work for the betterment of the community, and the public at large is watching very closely and keenly our meeting procedure and nothing what improvements are proposed. Motions or questions are meant for their knowledge and they are entitled to know when these are implemented, how they are implemented and the would-be results of these implementations. The Urban Council is so constituted that it has no autonomy, and authority has to be sought from the Government for any implementation. Any rejection by the Government the public is equally entitled to be in- formed and reasons for the rejection should be given. I am not certain the public is aware of this procedure.

No fewer than fifty motions have been passed by this Council since 1956. With the exception of one, I have no recollection of any announcement being made regarding when and how the motions were implemented and what actions were taken as a result. The one excep- tion I just referred to is the motion on Ward System. Since its imple- mentation, records of attendance are made in monthly, or even more frequent, reports. Could the other motions be similarly treated?

The public is anxious to know what has happened to the motions on simultaneous translation, on citizenship and the motion on educa- tion, just to mention a few. Motions referred to committees are often kept in cold storage. Yet, we realize the public should be informed of the committees' deliberations and decisions. Another illustrious example would be the motion on the Council's adoption of our report on local government. Since it has been passed by this Council no more is heard of it by members or by the public.

Mr. Chairman, when I suggested at the last meeting that the follow up of motions be put under the care of an officer who is to keep constantly in touch with the departments and notify members and the public, you and I were not in agreement. I now propose that this formality be in your hands as Chairman of this Council.