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After every such improvement, the staff will watch very carefully to ensure that water is discharging freely from the drains. If any member of the public finds any defect that may threaten the safety of an embankment they should inform the Resettlement Department straightaway.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman, is it correct that when I asked a similar question in April, I was told that it had been regretted that cement was used on these embankments.
MR. C. K. CHAN: I cannot recall that. If Mrs. ELLIOTT can recall it then it must be the case.
MRS. ELLIOTT: I can assure you that I have it in writing in a similar matter. Can I be informed whether or not action is being taken to form drainage through those cement embankments which seem to be a wall to collect the water? I was expecting an answer on that.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, I am surprised at Mrs. ELLIOTT's question because this point is well covered by Mr. CHAN's reply. Perhaps she could read the reply again.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Mr. Chairman, I am sorry, I don't know how to ask this question. I was under the impression that the last time the Commissioner said grass slopes were better, and I was wondering if any action was taken on that?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, now what has been done is to seek to make improvements and to ensure that there are no blockages in the slopes as they stand. Mrs. ELLIOTT is right, I think at the last meeting there was a reference, as I remember, to turf. I think we said, and here as a layman I have to be very careful with the Director of Public Works sitting beside me, but our preference is obviously for turf slopes. Some are, some are not. The point is where there are concrete embankments, we have to be doubly careful.
(6) MR. T. S. Lo gave notice of the following question:
The policies and rulings of the Council and its select committees have now become so numerous that it is impossible for Members to keep abreast of such policies relating to matters falling within the Council's jurisdiction. Would it be possible for the Department to prepare and to keep up-to-date a booklet detailing all the Council's policies and rulings?
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CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL: Question No. 6 falls to Mr. T. S. Lo to ask but, in his unavoidable absence, he has asked me to reply. The question makes a very fair request, and I have already taken action to have a booklet produced.
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, as the Hawker Policy Select Committee is having a Policy manual concerning hawkers, can I have your assurance that this booklet will not be prepared until the Hawkers Select Committee has finished its own Policy manual?
CHAIRMAN: This would be preferable if we could wait, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, the work is supposed to be done by your department so I hope you can get it expedited.
CHAIRMAN: The trouble is when it gets to committee, it sometimes gets chopped around.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, since this is a remarkably short answer can I deduce from it that the longer the answer to the question made by the Chairman of the Council, the longer it takes to implement or to have action taken?
CHAIRMAN: It might be the wrong way round, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.
MRS. ELLIOTT: Will this booklet include resettlement policies about which we have great difficulty in answering people who come to the Wards because we have no idea what is happening?
CHAIRMAN: It will pretty well cover all committees including resettlement.
(7) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question:
May we be advised what progress has been made in the housing of victims of the Sau Mau Ping landslide disaster? How many persons are involved? Including Tai Hang Sai and other emergency areas, what are the total numbers to be offered immediate resettlement?
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
Accommodation in the Sau Mau Ping Estate was offered to all surviving victims of the Sau Mau Ping landslide within four days of the disaster. Two other terraced portions of this Licensed Area were cleared for safety's sake, and the
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After every such improvement, the staff will watch very
carefully to ensure that water is discharging freely from the drains.
If any member of the public finds any defect that may threaten the safety of an embankment they should inform the Resettlement Department straightaway.
MRS. ELLIOTT:Mr. Chairman, is it correct that when I asked a similar question in April, I was told that it had been regretted that cement was used on these embankments.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-I cannot recall that. If Mrs. ELLIOTT can recall it then it must be the case.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-I can assure you that I have it in writing in a similar matter. Can I be informed whether or not action is being taken to form drainage through those cement embankments which seem to be a wall to collect the water? I was expecting an answer on that.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, I am sur- prised at Mrs. ELLIOTT's question because this point is well covered by Mr. CHAN's reply. Perhaps she could read the reply again.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I am sorry, I don't know how to ask this question. I was under the impression that the last time the Commissioner said grass slopes were better, and I was wondering if any action was taken on that?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, now what has been done is to seek to make improvements and to ensure that I think Mrs. there are no blockages in the slopes as they stand. ELLIOTT is right, I think at the last meeting there was a reference, as I remember, to turf. I think we said, and here as a lay-man I have to be very careful with the Director of Public Works sitting beside me, but our preference is obviously for turf slopes. Some are, some are not. The point is where there are concrete embankments, we have to be doubly careful.
(6) MR. T. S. Lo gave notice of the following question:
The policies and rulings of the Council and its select committees have now become so numerous that it is impossible for Members to keep abreast of such policies relating to matters falling within the Council's jurisdiction. Would it be possible for the Department to prepare and to keep up-to-date a booklet detailing all the Council's policies and rulings?
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129
CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL:-Question No. 6 falls to Mr. T. S. Lo to ask but, in his unavoidable absence, he has asked me to reply. The question makes a very fair request, and I have already taken action to have a booklet produced.
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, as the Hawker Policy Select Committee is having a Policy manual concerning hawkers, can I have your assurance that this booklet will not be prepared until the Hawkers Select Committee has finished its own Policy manual?
CHAIRMAN:--This would be preferable if we could wait, Mr.
CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, the work is supposed to be done by your department so I hope you can get it expedited.
CHAIRMAN:-The trouble is when it gets to committee, it sometimes gets chopped around.
Mr. Chairman, since MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Not in my committee. this is a remarkably short answer can I deduce from it that the longer the answer to the question made by the Chairman of the Council, the longer it takes to implement or to have action taken?
CHAIRMAN:-It might be the wrong way round, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, MRS. ELLIOTT:-Will this booklet include resettlement policies about which we have great difficulty in answering people who come to the Wards because we have no idea what is happening?
CHAIRMAN:-It will pretty well cover all committees including
resettlement.
(7) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question:-
May we be advised what progress has been made in the housing of victims of the Sau Mau Ping landslide disaster? How many persons are involved? Including Tai Hang Sai and other emergency areas, what are the total numbers to be offered immediate resettlement?
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE RESETTLEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
Accommodation in the Sau Mau Ping Estate was offered to all surviving victims of the Sau Mau Ping landslide within four days of the disaster. Two other terraced portions of this Licensed Area were cleared for safety's sake, and the
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