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premises are open to the public. Natural ventilation is considered adequate if the window area is not less than one-tenth of the floor area of the occupied part of the premises and if not less than 50% of the window area can be opened to the external air. During their routine inspections health staff check that these standards are complied with.
MR. HU: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for a very detailed answer. I would ask one supplementary. Is there any way to check the hygienic condition of the air in cinemas or in a big restaurant?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: I think, Mr. Hu, we could check the purity of the air.
MR. HU: The hygienic condition not the purity. From my experience in some large cinemas the air is not in a hygienic condition, because it is specially there that I have trouble breathing. This is the reason why I ask this question. Sometimes when I visit a large restaurant I think the air is probably not in a very hygienic condition. So I would ask the Deputy Director through you, Mr. Chairman, whether there is any way to check the hygienic condition of the air in restaurants or in cinemas?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: There are ways, Mr. Chairman, by taking air samples. Whether this would be a practical proposition, I do not know. I quite agree with Mr. Hu about the condition of the air in a number of these places that are crowded, and there is no doubt that it is far from pure.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, can we not determine the hygienic condition of air by the cubic foot, say how many germs in a cubic foot? (Laughter).
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: Certainly, if it is theoretically possible to do so.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, I entirely agree. Shall we start off with this Council Room?
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could I ask a supplementary in view of what Mr. Hu and Dr. COOMBES have been saying? Is it not possible to ask these places which are air-conditioned to thoroughly flush the place out with fresh air a certain number of times a day?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: We would have to change the regulations. I suggest that if Members feel the law should be changed that they put it to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, can this matter please be referred to that Committee? I think that it is a vitally important one. I would ask if the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services does not agree that it is extremely difficult to estimate the number of viruses in the air, and those are the germs which are mainly responsible for the upper respiratory infections Mr. Hu has been talking about. I think the only way it is possible to clear those out is to thoroughly flush the place with fresh air two or three times a day.
CHAIRMAN: I think that this might well be referred to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
MR. SALES: Don't you want to consult the Chairman of the former Air-Conditioning Select Committee? No doubt he will be able to give both a medical and air-conditioning opinion on this subject. (Laughter).
(13) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
A number of Kaifong Associations' Representatives of the Wong Tai Sin Kaifong Welfare Association have expressed their concern at the lack of market facilities for residents living in Wong Tai Sin Estate. Can the Commissioner for Resettlement please state whether it is possible to have a market within the Estate for the benefit of the residents living there?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
The Director of Urban Services and I have recently received letters from the Kai Fong Welfare Association of Wong Tai Sin Estate expressing their concern at the lack of a market in the estate, and asking that a three-storey market for hawkers be constructed there. Alternatively, they asked for approval to build the market themselves, and proposed to raise the necessary money for this purpose.
I welcome this suggestion, which coincides with the lines along which the departments concerned had already been thinking, even to the choice of a site, and I understand that the proposal will be considered by the Markets Select Committee of this Council at its next meeting.
MR. RAFEEK: Mr. Chairman, through you may I thank the Commissioner for his reply.
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premises are open to the public. Natural ventilation is considered adequate if the window area is not less than one-tenth of the floor area of the occupied part of the premises and if not less than 50% of the window area can be opened to the external air. During their routine inspections health staff check that these standards are complied with.
MR. HU: --Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for a very detailed answer. I would ask one supplementary. Is there any way to check the hygienic condition of the air in cinemas or in a big restaurant?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:-I think, Mr. Hu, we could check the purity of the air.
MR. HU:-The hygienic condition not the purity. From my ex- perience in some large cinemas the air is not in a hygienic condition, because it is specially there that I have trouble breathing. This is the reason why I ask this question. Sometimes when I visit a large restau- rant I think the air is probably not in a very hygienic condition. So I would ask the Deputy Director through you, Mr. Chairman, whether there is any way to check the hygienic condition of the air in restaurants or in cinemas?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL and HEALTH SERVICES:-There are ways, Mr. Chairman, by taking air samples. Whether this would be a practical proposition, I do not known. I quite agree with Mr. Hu about the condition of the air in a number of these places that the crowded, and there is no doubt that it is far from pure.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, can we not determine the hygienic con- dition of air by the cubic foot, say how many germs in a cubic foot? (Laughter).
DEPUTY DIRECtor of Medical AND HEALTH SERVICES:-Certainly, if it is theoretically possible to do so.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I entirely agree. start off with this Council Room?
Shall we
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, could I ask a supplementary in view of what Mr. Hu and Dr. COOMBES have been saying? Is it not possible to ask these places which are air conditioned to thoroughly flush the place out with fresh air a certain number of times a day?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: --We would have to change the regulations. I suggest that if Members feel the law should be changed that they put it to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
27
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, can this matter please be referred to that Committee? I think that it is a vitally important one. I would ask if the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services does not agree that it is extremely difficult to estimate the number of viruses in the air, and those are the germs which are mainly responsible for the upper respiratory infections Mr. Hu has been talking about. I think the only way it is possible to clear those out is to thoroughly flush the place with fresh air two or three times a day.
CHAIRMAN:-I think that this might well be referred to the En- vironmental Hygiene Select Committee.
MR. SALES: Don't you want to consult the Chairman of the former Air-Conditioning Select Committee? No doubt he will be able to give both a medical and air-conditioning opinion on this subject. (Laughter).
(13) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
A number of Kaifong Associations' Representatives of the Wong Tai Sin Kaifong Welfare Association have expressed their concern at the lack of market facilities for residents living in Wong Tai Sin Estate. Can the Commissioner for Resettlement please state whether it is possible to have a market within the Estate for the benefit of the residents living there?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
The Director of Urban Services and I have recently received letters from the Kai Fong Welfare Association of Wong Tai Sin Estate expressing their concern at the lack of a market in the estate, and asking that a three-storey market for hawkers be constructed there. Alternatively, they asked for approval to build the market themselves, and proposed to raise the necessary money for this purpose.
I welcome this suggestion, which coincides with the lines along which the departments concerned had already been thinking, even to the choice of a site, and I understand that the proposal will be considered by the Markets Select Committee of this Council at its next meeting.
MR. RAFEEK:-Mr. Chairman, through you may I thank the Com- missioner for his reply.
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