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ment estates which are no longer allowed to be restaurants because of our new regulations, or at least no new single-bay restaurants can be opened up. If a place has a cafe licence it can sell sandwiches and cakes, but, Mr. Chairman, you are probably aware that the majority of people do not like sandwiches and cakes in these areas. They are much more accustomed to eating noodles, wan tan and congee, and I would appreciate it if you would ask the Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee to have this urgently discussed, and discussed to a firm decision one way or the other. Could that be done?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may we have the question from Dr. BELL? I am still waiting for it. (Laughter).
MR. WONG: Mr. Chairman, I can assure Dr. BELL that at the next meeting we will have a vote. Very often we discuss things and mention things. It was not a definite proposal, and I can assure Dr. BELL that at the next meeting we will have a definite vote on this proposal.
DR. Woo: Mr. Chairman, I remember when we discussed this report and certain amendments were agreed by the Select Committee. Is it possible to get an opinion from the Resettlement Department before we consider a further meeting?
MR. WONG: We already have.
DR. WOO: I am sorry, I have not received it.
MR. LI: Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of clarification. I think apart from the ladies, we are all getting old and our memories are failing us. As far as I can remember, the matter referred to by Mr. WONG and Dr. BELL was not discussed by the Resettlement Management Select Committee. (Laughter)
MR. BERNACCHI: May I say as a personal statement, I think it was discussed and passed in the Resettlement Policy Select Committee.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, perhaps I could add something further. It was a recommendation of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee, subject to the view of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee. The Food and Food Premises Select Committee did discuss it—I have an extract from the Minutes—and tossed the ball back into the Resettlement Policy Committee's lap, asking what cooked dishes did the Committee have in mind. The Resettlement Policy Select Committee then drew up the list which it had in mind, and that is about as far as the matter has gone. We have, however, just recently asked that this matter might be reactivated, if that is the word, and that there might be a joint meeting of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee and the Food and Food Premises Select Committee, as the former previously asked for.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could you treat this matter with some urgency? Obviously it has got into a lot of bureaucratic muddle, and I think that it should be treated, if you can arrange it, with some urgency.
CHAIRMAN: The Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee has given us his assurance that it will be brought to notice and discussed at the next meeting of his Committee.
MR. SALES: Sir, I take it that these hot dishes are not to be sold in our parks and playgrounds. (Laughter).
(5) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
I have received complaints from the Chai Wan Kaifong Association that the nullah adjacent to the hillside behind Block 19 of the Resettlement Estate is emitting a most unpleasant smell, thus causing a serious nuisance to the residents. Can the Commissioner for Resettlement take steps to have this nuisance abated?
DR. A. M. S. BELL, ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT Committee, replied as follows:
The area about which the complaint was made is the sand pit at the end of the nullah on the hillside behind Block 19. This sand pit, through which nullah water flows into a culvert, is about 25 ft. from Block 19. The area was inspected on the 29th June, 1967, when only a small quantity of refuse, mixed with earth, rocks and some branches and leaves, was found in the sand pit. No smell was noticeable.
Half way up the hill, below the Chai Wan Permanent Cemetery, and straddling the nullah, there are some 10 to 12 squatter homes. The refuse in the sand pit is believed to emanate from this squatter area, as the squatters' usual method of refuse disposal is by dumping into the nullah.
A 40-gallon communal dustbin is provided in the squatter area, which together with the nullah, is cleaned every other day. The refuse in the sand pit has now been removed, and health education talks have been given to the squatters. In addition a daily cleansing service is being provided to the squatter area and also to the nullah, instead of every other day as previously.
The Roads and Drainage Office have, in addition, been asked to remove the earth and rocks in the sand pit. The area will be kept under observation by Cleansing Division Staff.
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ment estates which are no longer allowed to be restaurants because of our new regulations, or at least no new single-bay restaurants can be opened up. If a place has a cafe licence it can sell sandwiches and cakes, but, Mr. Chairman, you are probably aware that the majority of people do not like sandwiches and cakes in these areas. They are much more accustomed to eating noodles, wan tan and congee, and I would appre- ciate it if you would ask the Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee to have this urgently discussed, and discussed to a firm decision one way or the other. Could that be done?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may we have the question from Dr. BELL? I am still waiting for it. (Laughter).
MR. WONG: Mr. Chairman, I can assure Dr. BELL that at the next meeting we will have a vote. Very often we discuss things and mention things. It was not a definite proposal, and I can assure Dr. BELL that at the next meeting we will have a definite vote on this proposal.
DR. Woo: Mr. Chairman, I remember when we discussed this report and certain amendments were agreed by the Select Committee. Is it possible to get an opinion from the Resettlement Department before we consider a further meeting?
MR. WONG: We already have.
DR. WOO: I am sorry, I have not received it.
MR. LI:-Mr. Chairman, I rise on a point of clarification. I think apart from the ladies, we are all getting old and our memories are failing us. As far as I can remember, the matter referred to by Mr. WONG and Dr. BELL was not discussed by the Resettlement Management Select Committee. (Laughter)
MR. BERNACCHI:-May I say as a personal statement, I think it was discussed and passed in the Resettlement Policy Select Committee.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:--Mr. Chairman, perhaps I could add something further. It was a recommendation of the Resettle- ment Policy Select Committee, subject to the view of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee. The Food and Food Premises Select Com- mittee did discuss it—I have an extract from the Minutes—and tossed the ball back into the Resettlement Policy Committee's lap, asking what cooked dishes did the Committee have in mind. The Resettlement Policy Select Committee then drew up the list which it had in mind, and that is about as far as the matter has gone. We have, however, just recently asked that this matter might be reactivated, if that is the word, and that there might be a joint meeting of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee and the Food and Food Premises Select Committee, as the former previously asked for.
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125
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, could you treat this matter with some urgency? Obviously it has got into a lot of bureaucratic muddle, and I think that it should be treated, if you can arrange it, with some urgency.
CHAIRMAN: The Chairman of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee has given us his assurance that it will be brought to notice and discussed at the next meeting of his Committee.
MR. SALES: Sir, I take it that these hot dishes are not to be sold in our parks and playgrounds. (Laughter).
(5) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
I have received complaints from the Chai Wan Kaifong Asso- ciation that the nullah adjacent to the hillside behind Block 19 of the Resettlement Estate is emitting a most unpleasant smell, thus causing a serious nuisance to the residents. Can the Commissioner for Resettlement take steps to have this nuisance abated?
DR. A. M. S. BELL, ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELEct Committee, replied as follows:-
The area about which the complaint was made is the sand pit at the end of the nullah on the hillside behind Block 19. This sand pit, through which nullah water flows into a culvert, is about 25 ft. from Block 19. The area was inspected on the 29th June, 1967, when only a small quantity of refuse, mixed with earth, rocks and some branches and leaves, was found in the sand pit. No smell was noticeable.
Half way up the hill, below the Chai Wan Permanent Cemetery, and straddling the nullah, there are some 10 to 12 squatter homes. The refuse in the sand pit is believed to emanate from this squatter area, as the squatters' usual method of refuse disposal is by dumping into the nullah.
A 40-gallon communal dustbin is provided in the squatter area, which together with the nullah, is cleaned every other day. The refuse in the sand pit has now been removed, and health In education talks have been given to the squatters. addition a daily cleansing service is being provided to the squatter area and also to the nullah, instead of every other day as previously.
The Roads and Drainage Office have, in addition, been asked to remove the earth and rocks in the sand pit. The area will be kept under observation by Cleansing Division Staff.
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