1972 — Page 58

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN:-Would Members perhaps bear in mind that the Commissioner for Transport is responsible for these car parks, not the Council, and that the traffic parking regulations govern the employment of cleaners in these car parks and by "employment", I would assume that would include "washing".

MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, arising from these answers, when the Urban Council obtains financial independence next year, will the cost of the wastage of water by car park drivers be part of this Council's responsibility, will we get a bill from Government or will it still be the Commissioner for Transport who gets the bill?

CHAIRMAN: ---As we are "the management" I would imagine would bill the Government, Mr. BERNACCHI.

(9) MR. R. H. LOBO asked the following question:

Can the Chairman give an assurance that the new legislation to strengthen and improve public cleansing and anti-litter measures, which I understand is imminent, will be properly explained to the populace well before its enforcement by the new Anti-Litter squads?

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

I am happy to be able to give at least part of the assurance sought. Apart from the normal public explanation given when any piece of legislation is put forward to the Legislative Council, the "Keep Hong Kong Clean" Campaign Committee has already planned to explain the new anti-litter and public cleansing laws by a comprehensive bi-lingual pamphlet now under preparation, by posters, by regular announcements in the press, over radio and television stations, and through door-to-door advisory visits by Health Inspectors and Litter Wardens in the three months preceding the campaign which is scheduled to start in November.

If, as expected, the new legislation comes into force before the start of the campaign the enforcement staff will not be able to ignore blatant contraventions of the law, but will be under instruction initially to advise, educate and cajole the public into compliance with the law as a prelude to its strict enforcement during the campaign and subsequently.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, do I detect a note of a possible delay? If so it is very distressing that it is not certain that the new legislation will be in force before the commencement of this Campaign?

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CHAIRMAN:---I think I can give a very fair assurance the way things are going at present that this legislation will be ready for the November date at least.

(10) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-

Can the Chairman advise how many study rooms for young people there are in the Resettlement Estates in which more than one million people reside? Can the Chairman also advise how many more study rooms for young people will be established during the current fiscal year, and how many are planned for the fiscal year 1973 - 74?

MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:

This question enquires how many study rooms for young people there are in the Resettlement Estates, how many more study rooms for young people will be established during the current fiscal year and how many are planned for the fiscal year 1973 - 74.

The Commissioner for Resettlement informs me that there are at present 28 study-rooms in the resettlement estates, all of which are run by voluntary agencies or Kai Fong Associations. Besides these, the Social Welfare Department also provides studyroom facilities within the community centres in or near to resettlement or low cost housing estates. The Social Welfare Department has already provided space for such facilities in 6 estate welfare buildings and two more estate welfare buildings are being planned.

It is hoped that an estate welfare building will be erected for each resettlement estate with a population of over 50,000 and within the welfare building space will be reserved for the provision of facilities for study.

I would remind Members that following the motion that was passed by this Council in June 1968, the then Library Select Committee was authorized to submit proposals to develop study/reading rooms in over-crowded urban areas. The Committee subsequently submitted a proposal that one of the old barracks buildings within Kowloon Park be used to accommodate 200 students for this purpose. The proposal was submitted as a pilot scheme with Attendant-type supervision. The Education Department...

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