1971 — Page 224

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-

I am informed that all public toilets have full-time attendants, who are responsible for washing out as necessary there is no fixed number of times that this is done each day. In the older resettlement estates, the public toilets are washed out twice daily, and a solution of chloride of lime is used to wash them out once a week. The labourers who do this work have other duties, and so cannot devote all their time to the toilets; they are responsible also for cleaning the corridors, staircases and landings, as well as the surface channels and public spaces around the blocks.

I must agree that these public toilets in the estates leave a great deal to be desired by present day standards of hygiene and decency, particularly those on the ground floor which are subject to very heavy use by shop fokis, hawkers shoppers and others.

The present day unsatisfactory standards are largely attribu- table to the poor wall and floor surfaces in the toilets, and I suggest that the first need is to put this right. What is required is the installation of mosaic tiling on the floors and glaze tiling on the walls, which will result I hope in a very great improvement. A works order has in fact recently been issued to our new maintenance contractor for these improvements to be made in the ground floor toilets in a total of 44 blocks in Wong Tai Sin, Tai Hang Tung, Lo Fu Ngam, Jordan Valley and Lei Cheng Uk Estates. This work will cost about $250,000. We are also looking into the possibility of improving the lighting in the communal toilets.

If the work which is now being done produces the results we expect, we shall ask for more funds next year to continue the good work in the other Mark I and II blocks.

MRS. ELLIOTT:--Mr. Chairman, may I ask why Wang Tau Hom has been missed out?

COMMISSIONER for ResettleMENT:-Mr. Chairman, it is a matter of deciding which estate we are going to do first. Wang Tau Hom is included in my final comment about carrying on the good work in the rest of the Mark I and II estates.

MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, as the complaint I received con- cerned Wang Tau Hom may I ask the Commissioner if there is any inspection because some people say Wang Tau Hom is done once a day and not twice. Is there any inspection to make sure this is done?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, we would like to think that what is to be done is done. I will note Mrs. ELLIOTT'S point and enquire into it.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN: —Mr. Chairman, when the Commissioner refers to next year, is he referring to the next financial year?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I am sorry, Yes, next financial year, Mr. Chairman, for the other Mark I and II estates.

(4) MR. PETER C. K. CHAN asked the following question:-

I have received complaints that a great number of electric lights in a number of Tsz Wan Shan Blocks are fre- quently out of order and repairs are quite slow causing residents to be scared to use the lifts at night.

Can the Commissioner for Resettlement introduce some effec- tive procedure to ensure that the poor lighting faults can be rectified immediately?

THE COMMISSIONER for RESETTLEMENT replied as follows: --

There are over 68,000 electric light bulbs in the lifts, corridors, staircases and landing of the 420 domestic resettlement blocks in the urban districts; and in Tsz Wan Shan alone there are some 10,000 electric light bulbs in these public areas. A proportion of these are bound to be out of order at any moment in time, and bulbs and fittings are often stolen or damaged.

All lights in public areas in the estates are checked once a month and defective or missing bulbs are replaced im- mediately from stock. In addition, any defects dis- covered at other times by estates staff or reported by tenants are dealt with immediately. However, unless defects are reported by tenants, or are noticed by the estates staff, they will remain uncorrected until the next regular check. In the newer estates, the position is better in that the caretakers there are around the blocks in the evening and can spot defective bulbs and take action to replace them without delay.

I may say that I do not think that the present arrangements are good enough, and my staff are looking into ways and means of carrying out more frequent checks, of preventing pilferage and damage, and of ensuring that repairs and replacements are carried out more speedily. I think we will all agree that improvements are needed.