Page 122 of 174
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Apart from unnecessarily bombarding Members with large masses of papers the present arrangements have the following shortcomings: (a) The more Select Committees involved, the more delay will be caused.
(b) Each of the committees on the long, long trail has the power to veto the issue, yet none really knows the actual situation as well as the original committee.
(c) Since this Council has delegated its power to certain committees, the latter's views and recommendations should be respected and not unnecessarily interfered with.
(d) Every Select Committee deals with administration and public relations in its regular work and there is hardly justification for the existence of the Administration Select Committee, which appears to be a superlative unit over and above all other sister committees. And its Establishment Sub-Committee's work appears to me of an administrative nature, thus intruding on the Urban Services Department's field, while this Council is concerned mainly with policy making.
(e) The USD staff being required to attend too many meetings to present or discuss things of a similar nature adversely affects their more important role of carrying out the practical work laid down by the Council.
Mr. Chairman, I fully agree that we have probably done more work than under the system before the 1973 restructure, but I attribute this to the hard work of various select committees and in fact I believe that without all that red tape we should have achieved even more.
May I therefore suggest that our organization and working arrangements be reviewed so as to simplify them and to record an even more successful year for the Council.
With these comments I support the motion.
MR. PETER P. F. CHAN (in English):- Mr. Chairman, may I, as the Chairman of the Markets and Abattoirs Select Committee, take this opportunity to report to Members of the Council and of the public that everything is satisfactory in our two abattoirs. Production has been efficient and we have been able to meet all the requirements of the community. Adjustment of slaughter fees implemented last year after due consultation with the trade is accepted smoothly without any burdening on the consumer.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
205
At this point may I refer to a recent press report on the non-use of our weighing machine in the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir and this might have been misunderstood in exaggerated proportions. I remember that at the time when I explained this to a Select Committee, I compared this weighing machine to the standby mark-six machine in the Jockey Club. I think one additional machine must be ever-ready as spare in case if the main machine breaks down. We cannot possibly afford to have any section of our production lines to be interrupted especially during the early morning slaughters, otherwise the markets will see no quivering meat available to the housewives and general public. This so called "unused" weighing machine, in fact two machines in question, in addition to their standby use in cases of disputes between abattoir staff and the trade-have each been, and are being, used several hundred times a day for sampling and projection purposes. Further, they would be needed for non-stop operation throughout the day if, as is possible in the future, the abattoirs were to resume responsibility for pig carcass deliveries as well as for slaughter.
With the co-operation of and after due consultation with the market stall holders, we have been able to adjust the market rents as from April this year to reduce the amount of subsidy provided by the Council in this community service. Members recognize that development of market facilities would be welcomed by the housewives especially in districts where many new buildings have been completed and secondly as, possibly the surest means, to solve the hawkers' problem. The market projects had been progressing efficiently and to our satisfaction, of course apart from reasonable delay. This delay seems to be that many of the market buildings are multi-user buildings and the designing takes longer time than ordinary one or two floor structures, in order to achieve economic use of land and resources. Another problem encountered would be that whenever we make provision for new markets, we have to provide temporary facilities for the existing market holders to continue with such services to the public. This also post certain problems, land is generally not available at suitable locality and the trade, initially unhappy, had to be persuaded, though always successfully by the department, to accept the arrangement.
Our by-product plant in the abattoirs is working efficiently and we have been able during the past year to make available these by-products to the market profitably.
May I now suggest something on the Council's finances.
Last year, we were originally budgeting for a total expenditure of $447 million of which $284 million would be on staff cost (over 63%)
Page 122 of 174
Page 122 of 174
Page 122 of 174
204
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Apart from unnecessarily bombarding Members with large masses of papers the present arrangements have the following shortcomings: (a) The more Select Committees involved, the more delay will be
caused.
(b) Each of the committees on the long, long trail has the power to veto the issue, yet none, really knows the actual situation as well as the original committee.
(c) Since this Council has delegated its power to certain com- mittees, the latter's views and recommendations should be respected and not unnecessarily interfered with.
(d) Every Select Committee deals with administration and public relations in its regular work and there is hardly justification for the existence of the Administration Select Committee, which appears to be a superlative unit over and above all other sister committees. And its Establishment Sub-Committee's work appears to me of an administrative nature, thus intruding on the Urban Services Department's field, while this Council is concerned mainly with policy making.
(e) The USD staff being required to attend too many meetings to present or discuss things of a similar nature adversely affects their more important role of carrying out the practical work laid down by the Council.
Mr. Chairman, I fully agree that we have probably done more work than under the system before the 1973 restructure, but I attribute this to the hard work of various select committees and in fact I believe that without all that red tape we should have achieved even more.
May I therefore suggest that our organization and working ar- rangements be reviewed so as to simplify them and to record an even more successful year for the Council.
With these comments I support the motion.
MR. PETER P. F. CHAN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, may I, as the Chairman of the Markets and Abattoirs Select Committee, take this opportunity to report to Members of the Council and of the public that everything is satisfactory in our two abattoirs. Production has been efficient and we have been able to meet all the requirements of the community. Adjustment of slaughter fees implemented last year after due consultation with the trade is accepted smoothly without any burdening on the consumer.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
205
At this point may I refer to a recent press report on the non- use of our weighing machine in the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir and this might have been misunderstood in exaggerated proportions. I remember that at the time when I explained this to a Select Committee, I compared this weighing machine to the standby mark-six machine in the Jockey Club. I think one additional machine must be ever-ready as spare in case if the main machine breaks down. We cannot possibly afford to have any section of our production lines to be interrupted especially during the early morning slaughters, otherwise the markets will see no quivering meat available to the housewives and general public. This so called "unused" weighing machine, in fact two machines in question, in addition to their standby use in cases of disputes between abattoir staff and the trade-have each been, and are being, used several hundred times a day for sampling and projection purposes. Further, they would be needed for non-stop operation throughout the day if, as is possible in the future, the abattoirs were to resume responsibility for pig carcass deliveries as well as for slaughter.
With the co-operation of and after due consultation with the market stall holders, we have been able to adjust the market rents as from April this year to reduce the amount of subsidy provided by the Council in this community service. Members recognize that develop- ment of market facilities would be welcomed by the housewives especially in districts where many new buildings have been completed and secondly as, possibly the surest means, to solve the hawkers' problem. The market projects had been progressing efficiently and to our satisfaction, of course apart from reasonable delay. This delay seems to be that many of the market buildings are multi-user buildings and the designing takes longer time than ordinary one or two floor structures, in order to achieve economic use of land and resources. Another problem encountered would be that whenever we make provi- sion for new markets, we have to provide temporary facilities for the existing market holders to continue with such services to the public. This also post certain problems, land is generally not available at suitable locality and the trade, initially unhappy, had to be persuaded, though always successfully be the department, to accept the arrangement.
Our by-product plant in the abattoirs is working efficiently and we have been able during the past year to make available these by-products to the market profitably.
May I now suggest something on the Council's finances.
Last year, we were originally budgeting for a total expenditure of $447 million of which $284 million would be on staff cost (over 63%)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.