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CHAIRMAN (in English):-It was very courteous of Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.
MRS. HO (in English):-I understand they are cuttle fish and fritters. Please do not ask me what fritters are but that is the answer I have just got.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. Mr. CHEONG-LEEN?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-You can't ignore my supplementaries if you do not wish to continue muzzling. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Not at all, in fact, I am encouraging this line of supplementaries. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-For how long have such type of baits been used and to what extent are the rats immune to such baits nowadays?
MRS. HO (in English):-I believe your question was on the traps and there is also the other thing on poison baitings of rats. There are 2 parts according to the paper you slipped me earlier. One is 20 years for trapping and the other is 15 years for poisoning and so far there is no noticeable signs of resistance towards Warfarin which is the poison we have been using. In the Economist, there is an article which I only read on Sunday, which says there is a new poison coming up. I am sure that our Pest Control Team would keep this very much in mind.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, when the bait is used outdoors is the bait water-resistant?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mrs. Ho, I will now give the floor to Dr. WONG because the previous supplementary questions were an exercise in baiting and so completely out of line. (Laughter).
DR. P. C. WONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Grace Ho mentioned just now that the house cleansing method is very effective in overcrowded areas. Are there still places in Hong Kong where there are overcrowding and if this is the case should we not carry on with house cleansing operations? The second question is about the collection of refuse and its methods. Can we ask the USD to carry out a detailed report and investigation? I realize that in busy areas such as Jordan Road, refuse is left lying overnight and will be collected only at 10 or 11 the next morning. There are lots of people walking about the streets at that time and can we minimize the time for collection?
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MRS. HO (in English): Mr. Chairman, on the cleansing operations which Dr. WONG has referred to, I have pointed out in my reply that this has been carried on before the war when buildings were only 4 storeys high. I do not know whether Dr. WONG was old enough to remember it, but I certainly do remember people carting furniture down to the street dumping it into these tanks which were set out in the street for disinfecting. With buildings of 15 storeys or more, I am sure Dr. WONG would appreciate that this sort of archaic way of cleaning buildings is not possible, but there are teams which on complaints received by USD are sent out and disinfectant is put around the premises and cleansing carried out.
DR. WONG (in Cantonese):-My supplementary especially points to overcrowded areas. In 19/20-storey housing estates each person will occupy only about 30 sq. ft. These areas are extremely overcrowded. Can we find a way to remedy this situation in these areas?
MRS. HO (in English):-On the question of multi-storey buildings I think the primary responsibility rests with both the owners and tenants for cleaning up. The Council can be called in when there is a problem and I am sure that Health Inspectors in the district, during their routine inspections, would have this in mind and if there are refuse collection and rat problems the matter would be taken up. I am sorry just now that I sat down a bit too early, there was the other question asked by Dr. WONG about refuse collection. I have said that there is a cleansing review being carried out at the moment. There are a lot of improvements I think that we can make. We have yet to receive the detailed reports but I am sure my select committee will keep this very much in mind.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I recollect that the Drummond Report recommended the removal of public rat-bins as one of its proposals. I see in the current statistics in fact that there is quite a significant collection of rats from this source. Could I ask Mrs. Ho what is the policy currently on rat-bins and to what extent is it significant as a collection point?
MRS. HO (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Drummond Report had said that rat-bins were no longer necessary and that they should be removed and this is happening around Hong Kong. We still have some rat-bins in the Kowloon district but we expect that the phasing out operation would be completed in early 1978. We are still collecting rodents from some of these rat-bins put in by residents who have caught them.
Page 53 of 174
Page 53 of 174
I
70
LEEN.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN (in English):-It was very courteous of Mr. CHEONG-
MRS. HO (in English): -I understand they are cuttle fish and fritters. Please do not ask me what fritters are but that is the answer I have just got.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. Mr. CHEONG-LEEN?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-You can't ignor my supple- mentaries if you do not wish to continue muzzling. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Not at all, in fact, I am encouraging this line of supplementaries. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-For how long have such type of baits been used and to what extent are the rats immune to such baits nowadays?
MRS. Ho (in English):-I believe your question was on the traps and there is also the other thing on poison baitings of rats. There are 2 parts according to the paper you slipped me earlier. One is 20 years for trapping and the other is 15 years for poisoning and so far there is no noticeable signs of resistance towards Wafarin which is the poison we have been using. In the Economist, is an article which I only read on Sunday, which says there is a new poison coming up. I am sure that our Pest Control Team would keep this very much in mind.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, when the bait is used outdoors is the bait water-resistent?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mrs. Ho, I will now give the floor to Dr. WONG because the previous supplementary questions were an exercise in baiting and so completely out of line. (Laughter).
DR. P. C. WONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Grace Ho mentioned just now that the house cleansing method is very effective in overcrowded areas. Are there still places in Hong Kong where there are overcrowding and if this is the case should we not carry on with house cleansing operations? The second question is about the collection of refuse and its methods. Can we ask the USD to carry out a detailed report and investigation? I realize that in busy areas such as Jordan Road, refuse is left lying over night and will be collected only at 10 or 11 the next morning. There are lots of people walking about the streets at that time and can we minimize the time for collection?
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Page 53 of 174
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MRS. HO (in English): Mr. Chairman, on the cleansing operations which Dr. WONG has referred to, I have pointed out in my reply that this has been carried on before the war when buildings were only 4 storeys high. I do not know whether Dr. WONG was old enough to remember it, but I certainly do remember people carting furniture down to the street dumping it into these tanks which were set out in the street for disinfecting. With buildings of 15 storeys or more, I am sure Dr. WONG would appreciate that this sort of archaic way of clean- ing buildings is not possible, but there are teams which on complaints received by USD are sent out and disinfectant is put around the premises and cleansing carried out.
DR. WONG (in Cantonese):-My supplementary especially points to overcrowded areas. In 19/20-storey housing estates each person will occupy only about 30 sq. ft. These areas are extremely over- crowded. Can we find a way to remedy this situation in these areas?
MRS. Ho (in English):-On the question of multi-storey buildings I think the primary responsibility rests with both the owners and tenants for cleaning up. The Council can be called in when there is a problem and I am sure that Health Inspectors in the district, during their routine inspections, would have this in mind and if there are refuse collection and rat problems the matter would be taken up. I am sorry just now that I sat down a bit too early, there was the other question asked by Dr. WONG about refuse collection. I have said that there is a cleansing review being carried out at the moment. There are a lot of improvements I think that we can make. We have yet to receive the detailed reports but I am sure my select committee will keep this very much in mind.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I recollect that the Drummond Report recommended the removal of public rat-bins as one of its proposals. I see in the current statistics in fact that there is quite a significant collection of rats from this source. Could I ask Mrs. Ho what is the policy currently on rat-bins and to what extent is it significant as a collection point?
MRS. HO (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Drummond Report had said that rat-bins were no longer necessary and that they should be removed and this is happening around Hong Kong. We still have some rat-bins in the Kowloon district but we expect that the phasing out operation would be completed in early 1978. We are still collecting rodents from some of these rat-bins put in by residents who have caught them.
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