1967 — Page 146

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take this opportunity to invite any person in the food retailing or manu- facturing business to let us have his views if he thinks that the procedure can be further streamlined.

In conjunction with the Government Information Services, who have always given this Council their fullest co-operation, pamphlets in simple Chinese and designed to explain the new licensing procedures are being produced. So far the Information Services Department have produced pamphlets covering General and Light Refreshment Restau- rants, but will, I understand, produce pamphlets to cover all types of food business in due course. I strongly urge any member of the public who intends to go into the restaurant business to obtain a copy of the pamphlet and to study it before he commits himself. Copies of these pamphlets can be obtained at any Public Enquiry Service's counter or on request to the Secretary, Urban Council.

Despite the efforts which the Food and Food Premises Select Com- mittee have made to streamline systems we are still faced with the problem of unlicensed food premises. Many of the proprietors of these unlicensed premises appear to have entered into the business with little intention of meeting the Council's requirements which, I must stress, are designed to protect public health, and much stronger measures will therefore be required to either persuade them to bring their premises up to the standard or change their business to one which will not prove a health risk to the public. My Select Committee has noted the very small fines which are being imposed on unlicensed businesses by the Courts. These fines do not appear to serve as a deterrent to either discontinue business or to make the effort to meet the Council's require- ments. Many hours have been spent on considering ways that this problem can be overcome and it is hoped that we will be able to put concrete recommendations to the Whole Council in the near future.

Environmental Hygiene

In 1962 I mentioned in my speech that many promoters of multi- storey buildings were speculators in disguise and that they had sold their flats and ran away from their responsibilities. In fact co-operative flat is an abuse of the word. The result is insanitary state of these multi-storey buildings which left the hallways and corridors uncleaned and even with refuse unremoved. It has become tenement slums. Although the Secretariat for Chinese Affairs have been encouraging the co-operative owners to organize into associations with responsibilities for the hygienic conditions of the building, it is inadequate in ensuring the proper management. I have noted that in the case of one multi- storey building, several hundreds of letters have to be issued by the Government, and this case, our Urban Services Department have to remind them that the proper plumbing facilities for flushing water have not been put in order for the past year.

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I think this Council should appoint a number of forceful repre- sentatives, I have in mind the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, that is the madam Chairman, to liaise with the other Government Departments in the drafting of legislation for the manage- ment of multi-storey buildings.

Attention is also to be drawn to the following streets on Hong Kong Bowrington Road, side, which require special attention in cleansing :- Stone Nullah Lane; Cross Street, Gresson Street; Tai Yuen Street; Wan Chai Road, Chun Yeung Street; Marble Road, and Cadogan Street; Canton Road, Shun Ning and the following streets in Kowloon:— Road, Yu Chau Street, Poplar Street, Bulkeley Street, Pei Ho Street, Nga Tsin Long Road, Shek Lung Street, Waterloo Road near the Water- front, and Carpenter Road.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to pay a tribute to the Chairman, Director and Staff of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for their co-operation and efficiency without which this Council, in spite of the few projects which were bogged down, would not have been able to make the remarkable achievements within its field of activities.

With these remarks I have much pleasure in seconding the motion for this Council. (Applause).

MR. BERNACCHI:-As a personal statement, and as Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee, I would say that the expressions and opinions of Mr. WONG on hawkers are, of course, his own and not necessarily that of the Hawkers Select Committee.

DR. A. M. S. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, this Council has progressed in all its own activities over the years. It has improved its licensing system, it has continually sought ways and means of improving our city cleansing and has maintained a reasonably good standard in the face of many odds. It has sought for and succeeded in getting more Resettlement Housing of better and better standards. It has been un- tiring in its efforts to make fair policy and good management of its Resettlement estates and has been more than ably assisted in all this by the Council, Urban Services and Resettlement Departments' staffs. It has unceasingly sought to increase and provide sitting out areas, children's playgrounds and recreation facilities in every possible area and there has been an enormous improvement although there is still need for a wider variety of recreational activity and more availability in all areas.

This Council has never lacked the guts to speak up and ask questions and move motions in the interest of the people of Hong Kong both within and without of our present scope. Our present state- ment of aims for 1968 is as usual a continuation of improvement in all the spheres which we are by statutory limitation concerned with. This Council has also in its other capactiy as the Hong Kong Housing Authority progressively pushed ahead with its housing. I naturally