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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, will you kindly let me know, if the demand was increased, would the present facilities be sufficient?
CHAIRMAN:-I have said so, Mr. Hu.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
19
CHAIRMAN:-If the Vice-Chairman is prepared to answer the question, I'll let him. It's not strictly in accordance with the original question.
VICE-CHAIRMAN:-I would agree, Mr. Chairman, with Mr. Hu, that bad circulation certainly increases the risk of the spread of illness in these places, and I understand that it is not wholly on account of comfort, but also with a possible health hazard in mind that the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee has recently agreed to the proposed amendments to the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance.
(8) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:-
Could the Chairman inform the Council what action could be taken to ameliorate or improve the air circulation condition in cinemas or restaurants?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT Committee, replied as follows:--
This question concerns air circulation in cinemas and restaurants, and I am assuming that Mr. Hu is referring to mechanical ventilation in these establishments.
On the whole, very little improvement is required. Restaurants are inspected at least once a week, and the results of the inspections are seldom unsatisfactory. In a few cases where mechanical ventilation has been found faulty, this is soon put right.
Cinemas are inspected regularly, and at least once a month.
Results have generally been satisfactory although in a few cases it has been discovered that one or two unscrupulous cinema managers have been adopting the practice of closing the outside air in-take while keeping the cooling circuit in circulation. This results in a saving on electricity, but means that stale air is being recirculated. To overcome this, it has been found necessary to make certain amendments to the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance to require the management of cinemas, etc. to install fused running-hour meters. One or two other amendments to the Ordinance are also required. As Mr. Hu is aware, being a member of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, these proposed amendments were recently considered by that Select Committee, and steps are now being taken to include the required provision in the Ordinance.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I always pay great attention to the air-circulation in cinemas and restaurants and I think I did ask a similar question before, but what I would like to ask is this, whether this bad air-circulation has anything to do with the spread of influenza, for example. Could the Vice-Chairman answer this question?
(9) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:-
I understand that Aberdeen Area will be developed. Could consideration be given that those living on the Ap Lei Chau resite area be resettled at the earliest moment? There are about one hundred families living there. Could the Commissioner for Resettlement confirm that the Aberdeen Ward Office has continuously pressed for this request in the last two or three years?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT, replied as follows:-
I can confirm that since October 1968 the Resettlement Department has received a number of letters from the Aberdeen Ward Office asking for early resettlement for the resitees in Ap Lei Chau Class II licensed area. In my replies, it was explained that these families were not eligible for resettlement unless the sites they occupied were required for development.
There are no immediate plans for the development of the land now occupied by the licensed area.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I think I have been agitating for the people living there to have them resettled over the last two years. So, since the inhabitants there are a very small number, and they indicate to me and also to my good friend, Mr. BLAKER, that they want to be resettled because the place is not fit for them to live there, I wonder if Government is now considering developing the Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau areas? Could kind consideration be given to those people to be resettled at an early stage?
CHAIRMAN:-As I said, there are no immediate plans for the development of the land now occupied by the Licensed Area. That doesn't mean that there aren't development plans for Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau.
Page 19 of 241
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Page:
Page 18 of 241
18
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, will you kindly let me know, if the demand was increased, would the present facilities be sufficient?
CHAIRMAN:-I have said so, Mr. Hu.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
19
CHAIRMAN:-If the Vice-Chairman is prepared to answer the question, I'll let him. It's not strictly in accordance with the original question.
VICE-CHAIRMAN:-I would agree, Mr. Chairman, with Mr. Hu, that bad circulation certainly increases the risk of the spread of illness in these places, and I understand that it is not wholly on account of comfort, but also with a possible health hazard in mind that the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee has recently agreed to the proposed amendments to the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance.
(8) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:-
Could the Chairman inform the Council what action could be taken to ameliorate or improve the air circulation con- dition in cinemas or restaurants?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT Committee, replied as follows: --
This question concerns air circulation in cinemas and restau- rants, and I am assuming that Mr. Hu is referring to mechanical ventilation in these establishments.
On the whole, very little improvement is required. Restau- rants are inspected at least once a week, and the results of the inspections are seldom unsatisfactory. In a few cases where mechanical ventilation has been found faulty, this is soon put right.
Cinemas are inspected regularly, and at least once a month.
Results have generally been satisfactory although in a few cases it has been discovered that one or two unscrupulous cinema managers have been adopting the practice of closing the outside air in-take while keeping the cooling circuit in circulation. This results in a saving on electricity, but means that stale air is being recirculated. To overcome this is has been found necessary to make certain amendments to the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance to require the management of cinemas, etc. to install fused running-hour meters. One or two other amendments to the Ordinance are also required. As Mr. Hu is aware, being a member of the Environ- mental Hygiene Select Committee, these proposed amend- ments were recently considered by that Select Committee, and steps are now being taken to include the required provision in the Ordinance.
MR. HU-Mr. Chairman, I always pay great attention to the air- circulation in cinemas and restaurants and I think I did ask a similar question before, but what I would like to ask is this, whether this bad air-circulation has anything to do with the spread of influenza, for example. Could the Vice-Chairman answer this question?
(9) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:-
I understand that Aberdeen Area will be developed. Could consideration be given that those living on the Ap Lei Chau resite area be resettled at the earliest moment? There are about one hundred families living there. Could the Commissioner for Resettlement confirm that the Aberdeen Ward Office has continuously pressed for this request in the last two or three years?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, IN THE ABSENCE OF THE COM- MISSIONER FOR ResettlemENT, replied as follows:-
I can confirm that since October 1968 the Resettlement Department has received a number of letters from the Aberdeen Ward Office asking for early resettlement for the resitees in Ap Lei Chau Class II licensed area. In my replies it was explained that these families were not eligible for resettlement unless the sites they occupied were required for development.
There are no immediate plans for the development of the land
now occupied by the licensed area.
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I think I have been agitating for the people living there to have them resettled over the last two years. So, since the inhabitants there are a very small number, and they indicate to me and also to my good Friend, Mr. BLAKER, that they want to be resettled because the place is not fit for them to live there, I wonder if Government is now considering developing the Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau areas? Could kind consideration be given to those people to be resettled at an early stage?
CHAIRMAN:-As I said, there are no immediate plans for the development of the land now occupied by the Licensed Area. That doesn't mean that there aren't development plans for Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.