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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:---

The site referred to in this question is an on-street junk collec- tion point established in 1952 to cater for the Kwun Chung Market, the adjoining hawker bazaar and 150 licensed fixed pitch hawkers in the immediate area.

The question does not exaggerate the state of the site, partic- ularly at this time of the year with the fruit season at its height. The dumping of junk on the site is, however, contained as far as possible to the smallest area and all junk is cleared daily. The state of the site was partic- ularly bad just before the receipt of Mr. Hu's question due to the breakdown of the collection vehicle which resulted in a larger accumulation of junk for a longer period than usual. Whether this prompted the question or not is, perhaps, immaterial. The fact is that on-street collection points are unpleasant at the best of times and the department, in conjunction with the Public Works Department, is doing everything possible to find suitable sites for off-street points. Such a point in this area is to be developed later this year and, when completed, will replace the present point.

MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, during my visit there to that area, it is by coincidence. I just go to distribute some prizes there. It was indeed very bad and I would like to know what is the condition now, is the condition much better or not?

DR. HUANG: I presume it must be better now.

MR. HU:-There are heaps of rubbish there, very bad in smell and it is very dangerous to public health. I would like the department to see that before the new point is to be developed, some interim measure could be taken to alleviate the very serious condition of that rubbish deposit point in that area.

DR. HUANG-Mr. Chairman, I would like to assure Mr. Hu that we will do as much as we can and I myself shall try to pay more attention to that particular site.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I should like to ask a supple- mentary. We are having great difficulty in finding sites for off-street hawker bazaars. Now Dr. HUANG speaks about off-street collecting points. Is there in fact any hope of off-street collecting points in the near future?

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DR. HUANG-Well, as I said in my answer, such a point in this area is to be developed later this year and when completed will replace the present point, in other words there will be one towards the end of this year.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Thank you.

(2) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:------

What is the latest position concerning the backlog on com- passionate cases? Have cases for the current financial year begun to be accepted?

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:

Sir, Mr. Hu would normally I think have answered this question but unfortunately I didn't get the reply ready for him in time so I will answer it myself.

The answer to the first part of the question is that on 26th July there were 251 persons on the compassionate list who had not yet taken up resettlement accommodation. 178 of these are persons who would have to be accommodated alone or asked to share with another unattached person.

69 of them are family persons who have declined the accom- modation offered for one reason or another, or have not come to the department for interview when invited to do so.

4 of them are persons whose applications were received in the

previous week.

The answer to the second part of the question is that in March this year, when the compassionate list stood at 600, it was agreed inter-departmentally that more compassionate cases would not be added to the list until the list had been considerably reduced.

Despite this agreement, the department has continued to

process new cases of great urgency.

MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I have several supplementaries. First of all, second paragraph says 178 persons who would have to be accommodated alone, can we be told what efforts are being made to couple up people because whenever they come to me and I ask them if they are willing to couple up I have never yet had a refusal?