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MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, another point I would like to raise and that is in the last paragraph where the Commissioner says that at present there is only a backlog of 140 singleton cases. I wonder if anyone has informed the Commissioner that there are many cases waiting on the Social Welfare and probably the Medical Department books. They have been told not to refer these cases so they are all sitting waiting in the books of the other offices.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: —Mr. Chairman, I referred specifically to these very cases. This system was suspended for some months and I have said very clearly that with the recent resumption of referrals we expected about 300 cases which might be up to 1,500 persons to come forward now and these should be dealt with in the next month or two.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to clarify that point. Can we have some promise that this will never occur again because this is the first time in all the time I have been on these Committees that I have found this backlog and it has been very serious. Can we have some promise?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I don't quite know, Mr. Chairman, what Mrs. ELLIOTT wants me to promise. Certainly, I couldn't indulge in any vague promises, but I would say that promises are out of order. Many of these delays are due to individual preferences by the individuals. (Commissioner for Resettlement noting Mrs. ELLIOTT shaking her head). No, I am sorry, Mrs. ELLIOTT, this is the case. They are sometimes very choosy indeed about where they want to be sited, where they want to be resettled. I can give an assurance that we will speed up the system as best we can. More than that I cannot say.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, the Commissioner has just mentioned about being choosy, is it not correct that his office was stopping at the first person who was choosy and keeping all the others waiting for that one?
CHAIRMAN:-I am afraid I must rule that question out of order, Mrs. ELLIOTT. Your last question has been very satisfactorily answered, I think.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I agree the answers have been given satisfactorily for the first time for many months...
CHAIRMAN:-Are you asking a supplementary?
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I rise to ask Question 3 seeing that I am not allowed to go on with Question 2.
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(3) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:—
What action is being taken to eliminate air-pollution caused by the burning by the U.S.D. of crates and boxes in San Shan Road, To Kwa Wan? If they cannot be burned in the incinerator, can they be taken for disposal to Gin Drinker's Bay?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
This question concerns the burning of crates and boxes at the disused quarry in San Shan Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon.
Some 80 to 100 lorry loads of junk are collected daily in the eastern sector of Kowloon and disposed of by burning at the San Shan Road site. The department is aware that the arrangement is by no means satisfactory but, unfortunately, the articles collected are too bulky to be received into the hoppers of the Lai Chi Kok incinerator. The real solution is to obtain extra staff and transport to deliver the junk to Gin Drinker's Bay for disposal, and provision for the necessary staff and transport has been included in the Estimates for 1972-73.
In the meantime, the department is doing all it can to keep the size of the fire and the amount of smoke created down to a minimum.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, am I to understand that the people of Hung Hom, To Kwa Wan, rather, are going to suffer until 1972 or 1973?
DR. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, I am afraid that as far as I can understand, the Department did try to find an alternative site but failed. So a solution will have to wait until we get more staff.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, is it possible to refer this to Mr. FORSGATE'S Committee?
(4) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question:-
At the Council meeting in May I raised questions concerning the unsatisfactory situation prevailing in the Hawker Control Force. The reply illustrated a high degree of wastage with very limited recruitment because of unattractive remuneration and inadequate fringe benefits. It was indicated that proposals for the improvement of conditions
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MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, another point I would like to raise and that is in the last paragraph where the Commissioner says that at present there is only a backlog of 140 singleton cases. I wonder if anyone has informed the Commissioner that there are many cases wait- ing on the Social Welfare and probably the Medical Department books. They have been told not to refer these cases so they are all sitting waiting in the books of the other offices.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: —Mr. Chairman, I referred specifically to these very cases. This system was suspended for some months and I have said very clearly that with the recent resumption of referrals we expected about 300 cases which might be up to 1,500 persons to come forward now and these should be dealt with in the next month or two.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to clarify that point. Can we have some promise that this will never occur again because this is the first time in all the time I have been on these Committees that I have found this backlog and it has been very serious. Can we have some promise?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I don't quite know Mr. Chairman what Mrs. ELLIOTT wants me to promise. Certainly, I couldn't indulge in any vague promises, but I would say that promises are out of order. Many of these delays are due to individual prefer- ences by the individuals. (Commissioner for Resettlement noting Mrs. ELLIOTT shaking her head). No, I am sorry, Mrs. ELLIOTT, this is the case. They are sometimes very choosy indeed about where they want to be sited, where they want to be resettled. I can give an assurance that we will speed up the system as best we can. More than that I cannot say.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, the Commissioner has just men- tioned about being choosy, is it not correct that his office was stopping at the first person who was choosy and keeping all the others waiting for that one?
CHAIRMAN:-I am afraid I must rule that question out of order, Mrs. ELLIOTT. Your last question has been very satisfactorily answered, I think.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I agree the answers have been given satisfactorily for the first time for many months . . .
CHAIRMAN:-Are you asking a supplementary?
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I rise to ask Question 3 seeing that I am not allowed to go on with Question 2.
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(3) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:—
What action is being taken to eliminate air-pollution caused by the burning by the U.S.D. of crates and boxes in San Shan Road, To Kwa Wan? If they cannot be burned in the incinerator, can they be taken for disposal to Gin Drinker's Bay?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT Committee, replied as follows:
This question concerns the burning of crates and boxes at the disused quarry in San Shan Road, To Kwa Wan, Kowloon.
Some 80 to 100 lorry loads of junk are collected daily in the eastern sector of Kowloon and disposed of by burning at the San Shan Road site. The department is aware that the arrangement is by no means satisfactory but, unfortun- ately, the articles collected are too bulky to be received into the hoppers of the Lai Chi Kok incinerator. The real solution is to obtain extra staff and transport to deliver the junk to Gin Drinker's Bay for disposal, and provision for the necessary staff and transport has been included in the Estimates for 1972-73.
In the meantime, the department is doing all it can to keep the size of the fire and the amount of smoke created down to a minimum.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, am I to understand that the people of Hung Hom, To Kwa Wan, rather, are going to suffer until 1972 or 1973?
DR. HUANG:--Mr. Chairman, I am afraid that as far as I can understand, the Department did try to find an alternative site but failed. So a solution will have to wait until we get more staff.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, is it possible to refer this to Mr. FORSGATE'S Committee?
(4) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question:-
At the Council meeting in May I raised questions concerning the unsatisfactory situation prevailing in the Hawker Con- trol Force. The reply illustrated a high degree of wastage with very limited recruitment because of unattractive re- muneration and inadequate fringe benefits. It was in- dicated that proposals for the improvement of conditions
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