HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
swimming pool in Mong Kok, so that residents in this populous district may have more chances to participate in meaningful activities.
(3) The Auxiliary Medical Service and the Civil Aid Services of the Government are two leading volunteer corps with the aims of providing training to the youths and rendering services to the community. However, since their formation more than 20 years ago, the Government has placed a curb on their expansion. While the population of Hong Kong has been doubled to over 4 million now, 40% of which are within the 16-25 age group, the strength of the AMS and CAS has not been allowed to increase proportionally. In the event of natural calamities and man-made disasters, these two service corps, with their existing strength, will find it difficult to effectively carry out the important tasks of rescuing and helping the affected and maintaining social order. Since the Government has strongly advocated the setting up of more youth service groups and encouraged young people to participate in community work, it is only reasonable that the Government should expand the establishment of the AMS and CAS in proportion to the population growth rate and allocate sufficient funds to these two corps to enable them to recruit and train more eminent members so that they can cope with future emergencies more effectively.
(4) Since the imposition of the second phase water restriction, various trades in Hong Kong have been greatly inconvenienced, particularly those in connection with cleansing, hygiene, restaurants and the food business. Although water tanks can be built and buckets bought to store water, it is no solution to the problem. Besides, squatters using public standpipes are all the more hit.
As we all know, our water comes mainly from rain. Since drought is a natural disaster, I believe that, in order to tide over these hard times, all the people of Hong Kong are willing to join hands in an effort to save water. At present, the water in our reservoirs stands at about 40,000 million gallons. Added to it is the 30,000 million gallons which will be supplied by China and fresh water from our desalting plant. There should be more than enough to last till the next rainy season. The man-in-the-street feels that restriction. The measure of restricting supply time will not result in the use of less water. On the contrary, various trades and households will increase their water storage. When the next supply time comes, they will pour away the stored water or try to use it up. This clearly goes counter to the aim of saving water. The Water Supplies Department should give careful consideration to the proposal that in the case of genuine water shortage, restriction on the amount of water used rather than the supply hours should be imposed and that publicity should be made to persuade the people to really save water. This will solve the problem at its root.
(5) I am delighted to learn that the Government is now prepared to launch the Home Ownership Scheme in a bid to solve the housing problem of Hong Kong. There are a group of teachers and staff who live in the Hong Kong Island or Kowloon but work at school in the outlying districts. Every day they have to take long and tedious journeys to and fro, thus wasting a lot of precious time and money as well as adding to traffic congestion. I hope that the authorities would, in their interests, set aside land in the outlying islands for sale to the teaching staff at a relatively low price so that they can build their own village-type houses there. Thus they can live and work in peace, take care of their families easily, and at the same time, have more time to help the Government promote local recreation activities and welfare.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
DR. P. C. WONG (in English):-concerning licensing of restaurants, I would like to make it further known to the public that such licensing is necessary here because Hong Kong is in the tropical area and its hot and damp weather demand an efficient control to guard against any possible health hazard. However, to expedite the issue of licences, it is better to form a central licensing unit managed by the Urban Council having its staffs specially trained in the necessary procedures followed by the Fire Services and Public Works Departments which are required in the licensing of restaurants under the present system. We should also pay attention on the cleanliness of napkins in restaurants as it has been found some customers spit into them. Ventilation systems in food premises must be maintained at a required standard and sufficient lavatories in good working order should be required as some lavatory facilities can be said to have a standard dating back to 50 years ago.
Indeed, hygiene should not only be confined to public eating places, but also to public transport, cinemas, factories and the home.
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Page 137 of 174
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
swimming pool in Mong Kok, so that residents in this populous district may have more chances to participate in meaningful
activities.
(3) The Auxiliary Medical Service and the Civil Aid Services of the Government are two leading volunteer corps with the aims of providing training to the youths and rendering services to the community. However, since their formation more than 20 years ago, the Government has placed a curb on their expan- sion. While the population of Hong Kong has been doubled to over 4 million now, 40% of which are within the 16-25 age group, the strength of the AMS and CAS has not been allowed to increase proportionally. In the event of natural calamities and man-made disasters, these two service corps, with their existing strength, will find it difficult to effectively carry out the important tasks of rescuing and helping the affected and main- taining social order. Since the Government has strongly ad- vocated the setting up of more youth service groups and encouraged young people to participate in community work, it is only reasonable that the Government should expand the establishment of the AMS and CAS in proportion to the popula- tion growth rate and allocate sufficient funds to these two corps to enable them to recruit and train more eminent members so that they can cope with future emergencies more effectively.
(4) Since the imposition of the second phase water restriction, various trades in Hong Kong have been greatly inconvenienced, particularly those in connection with cleansing, hygiene, restaurants and the food business. Although water tanks can be built and buckets bought to store water, it is no Solution to the problem. Besides, squatters using public standpipes are all the more hit.
As we all know, our water comes mainly from rain. Since drought is a natural disaster, I believe that, in order to tide over these hard times, all the people of Hong Kong are willing to join hands in an effort to save water. At present, the water in our reservoirs stands at about 40,000 million gallons. Added to it is the 30,000 million gallons which will be supplied by China and fresh water from our desalting plant. There should be more than enough to last till the next rainy season. The man-in-the-street feels that restriction. The measure of restricting supply time will not result in the use of less water. On the contrary, various
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 137 of 174
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trades and households will increase their water storage. When the next supply time comes, they will pour away the stored water or try to use it up. This clearly goes counter to the aim of saving water. The Water Supplies Department should give careful consideration to the proposal that in the case of genuine water shortage, restriction on the amount of water used rather than the supply hours should be imposed and that publicity should be made to persuade the people to really save water. This will solve the problem at its root.
(5) I am delighted to learn that the Government is now prepared to launch the Home Ownership Scheme in a bid to solve the housing problem of Hong Kong. There are a group of teachers and staff who live in the Hong Kong Island or Kowloon but work at school in the outlying districts. Every day they have to take long and tedious journeys to and fro, thus wasting a lot of precious time and money as well as adding to traffic congestion. I hope that the authorities would, in their interests, set aside land in the outlying islands for sale to the teaching staff at a relatively low price so that they can build their own village-type houses there. Thus they can live and work in peace, take care of their families easily, and at the same time, have more time to help the Government promote local recreation activities and welfare.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
DR. P. C. WONG (in English):-concerning licensing of restaurants, I would like to make it further known to the public that such licensing is necessary here because Hong Kong is in the tropical area and its hot and damp weather demand an efficient control to guard against any possible health hazard. However, to expedite the issue of licences, it is better to form a central licensing unit managed by the Urban Council having its staffs specially trained in the necessary procedures followed by the Fire Services and Public Works Departments which are required in the licensing of restaurants under the present system. We should also pay attention on the cleanliness of napkins in restaurants as it has been found some customers spit into them. Ventilation systems in food premises must be maintained at a required standard and sufficient lavatories in good working order should be required as some lavatory facilities can be said to have a standard dating back to 50 years ago.
Indeed, hygiene should not only be confined to public eating places, but also to public transport, cinemas, factories and the home.
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