1967 — Page 82

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Page 82 of 259

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

get a pedlar's licence, seek the advice of the Hawkers Licensing Offices as to available places to hawk, and do not hawk fresh meat, fresh fish or cooked food, because by hawking these commodities you are a danger to the people of Hong Kong, of which you are part. I am sure you do not want to give them food poisoning, but everyone of you that comes onto the streets with cooked food, fresh meat or fresh fish is a potential killer. I am sure that you would not wish to have a death by food poisoning on your hands.

Mr. Chairman, I am sorry to have had to make so long a report. I stress that the Urban Council is always willing to assist the true citizens of Hong Kong and the Hawkers Select Committee is always willing to hear individual complaints, but I ask, I beg, co-operation from the people of Hong Kong especially in times like these.

QUESTIONS.

(1) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-

Can the Commissioner for Resettlement advise:- (a) How many families living in resettlement estates

receiving subsidies and living allowances from voluntary organizations so that their children can go to school?

are

(b) How many primary school age children living in the resettlement estates are going to school as a result of these family subsidies and living allowances being provided by such voluntary organizations?

(c) How many primary school age children living in resettle-

ment estates are not going to school?

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-

I regret that up-to-date information is not available in reply to the first part of the question. Figures supplied to Mr. CHEONG-LEEN in September last year indicated that some 19,300 children were receiving assistance from voluntary agencies and I have no information to suggest that the figures are now significantly different.

It follows that it is not possible to answer the second part of the question. Indeed, I would say that, in any circum- stances, this part of the question is unanswerable since it is not possible to determine whether a child would be going to school or not if he were not receiving such assistance.

In reply to the third part of the question, I regret that this

information also is not available.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, last year the Commissioner for Resettlement said in a Council meeting that this question of sub- sidies and living allowances for children in our Estates, to enable them to attend school, would be discussed by an appropriate sub-committee of the Hong Kong Social Service. Can the Commissioner advise whether he has any information as to whether this was discussed at that sub-committee and, if so, what were the conclusions?

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Mr. Chairman, perhaps I might answer that question. There was, I think, some discussion on this question, but I have no information which leads to any specific conclu- sion as to the action to be taken. On a point of clarification, I would ask the Commissioner for Resettlement if perhaps there is a misprint in his answer. Should not the figure be 9,300?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, from informa- tion available to me, there were ten organizations in September, 1966. One of them was assisting 7,900 odd, one was assisting 1,695, another was assisting over 8,000. Then there were a few other smaller figures. I think it adds up to 19,000 odd.

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE: ----Sorry.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I think to clarify that even further, the num- ber of organizations operating within the Estates is only nine, not ten. I stand to be corrected though. Could the Director of Social be good enough, Mr. Chairman, to check the substance of the discussions and the conclusions at this particular meeting, and advise me in writing what were the conclusions?

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:-Yes, I shall be pleased to do that.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.

(2) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-

Can the Commissioner for Resettlement advise :·

(a) How many copies of the Government pamphlet giving information on how to apply for a free primary school place have been distributed within resettlement estates by the Education Department?

(b) Whether the Resettlement Department is co-operating with the Education Department to explore further measures to have primary school age children in resettlement estates to go to school, and thus fill up the vacant places in the Resettlement Estate schools during the coming months?