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insects when temperatures are above 21°C approximately. Unfortunately, there is usually enough standing water around for mosquitoes to continue to breed throughout the year and, in this respect, rainfall is less significant than might be thought.
Special preventive measures to be taken during 1979 include a month-long anti-mosquito publicity campaign in April and special campaigns to eliminate both actual and potential mosquito breeding places to be carried out by Urban Services Department staff throughout the urban areas. All complaints about mosquitoes are dealt with as a matter of urgency and complainants are interviewed as soon as possible. This is usually within 24 hours and, in any case, within 48 hours.
MR CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr Chairman, is there enough staff to follow up effectively on complaints once complainants are interviewed?
MRS Ho (in English):—Mr Chairman, my understanding is there is. I have not heard to the contrary.
MRS E. ELLIOTT (in English):--Mr Chairman, I think the statement made by Mrs Ho about the water washing away the eggs is good, but has the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee noticed that whenever there is heavy rain, there are deep pools of water in all the building sites and these definitely breed mosquitoes. What action has been taken on that?
MRS Ho (in English):-Mr Chairman, I understand that the district staff has a special responsibility to visit construction sites in particular, and I have seen them at work spraying the sites and giving instructions to the workers there. The contractor also has a special responsibility.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mr BERNACCHI, Mr C. K. CHAN, in that order, please.
MR B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-Mr Chairman, I would like to ask the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee whether DDT or some other spray is as effective as it used to be or whether mosquitoes are getting immune to DDT so that spraying of pools in construction areas is less effective.
MRS Ho (in English):-The Pest Control Officer, Mr ROMER, keeps track of it. He has staff in laboratories taking specimens of insects and he keeps tracks on the worldwide conditions. From what I understand, so far the mix he uses, whether it is DDT or whatever, seems effective. In fact, the other day I spoke to Professor COLBOURNE of the Hong Kong University, who is an expert and who was quite complimentary about the work we have done.
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MR C. K. CHAN (in English):-Mr Chairman, we have a complaints line, telephone 5-95555, receiving complaints about rubbish. I do not know whether the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee can include the complaints of mosquitoes through that hot line too, so that people who have mosquito complaints can also use the same line for complaining about rubbish.
MRS Ho (in English):-Mr Chairman, I think when Mr CHAN reads the statistics which are sent out every month, he will see that on the hot line complaints are not just about rubbish. Other complaints come through and they are dealt with in the same way.
MR CHAN (in English):-I am referring to the TV advertisement and other advertisements which only say that if you have any 'lap sap' complaints, phone this number. I hope in future it can include mosquito complaints as well as 'lap sap'.
MRS Ho (in English):--That is a very good point. When we next do an ADI and scrap this one, we will take that, and in fact all the complaints dealing with Urban Council, into consideration.
MR HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in English):-In connection with complaints referred to by Mr Cheong-Leen, has the Urban Services Department detected any marked increase recently in complaints on mosquito nuisance from the public?
MRS Ho (in English):—Mr Chairman, recently there has been an increase and I understand it is because we have had a very mild winter and the weather has been quite warm which points back to the temperatures being the right time for mosquitoes to breed.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The Urban Services Department may not have had, but the Chairman did detect a great incidence of mosquito bites. (Laughter).
MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, I am sure you do not need an answer to that (Laughter).
MOTIONS
1 MRS GRACE HO, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion: -RESOLVED that the Public Cemeteries (Amendment) By-laws 1979 be made under section 116 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap 132.'
She said (in English):-Mr Chairman, as the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, I rise on the motion standing in my name:
222
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
insects when temperatures are above 21°C approximately. Unfortunately, there is usually enough standing water around for mosquitoes to continue to breed throughout the year and, in this respect, rainfall is less significant than might be thought.
Special preventive measures to be taken during 1979 include a
month-long anti-mosquito publicity campaign in April and special campaigns to elimina.e both actual and potential mosquito breeding places to be carried out by Urban Services Department staff throughout the urban areas. All complaints about mosquitoes are dealt with as a matter of urgency and complainants are interviewed as soon as possible. This is usually within 24 hours and, in any case, within 48 hours.
MR CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr Chairman, is there enough staff to follow up effectively on complaints once complainants are interviewed?
MRS Ho (in English):—Mr Chairman, my understanding is there is. I have not heard to the contrary.
MRS E. ELLIOTT (in English):--Mr Chairman, I think the statement made by Mrs Ho about the water washing away the eggs is good, but has the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee noticed that whenever there is heavy rain, there are deep pools of water in all the building sites and these definitely breed mosquitoes. What action has been taken on that?
MRS Ho (in English):-Mr Chairman, I understand that the district staff has a special responsibility to visit construction sites in particular, and I have seen them at work spraying the sites and giving instructions to the workers there. The contractor also has a special responsibility.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mr BERNACCHI, Mr C. K. CHAN, in that order, please.
MR B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-Mr Chairman, I would like to ask the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee whether DDT or some other spray is as effective as it used to be or whether mosquitoes are getting immune to DDT so that spraying of pools in construction areas is less effective.
MRS Ho (in English):-The Pest Control Officer, Mr ROMER, keeps track of it. He has staff in laboratories taking specimens of insects and he keeps tracks on the worldwide conditions. From what I understand, so far the mix he uses, whether it is DDT or whatever, seems effective. In fact, the other day I spoke to Professor COLBOURNE of the Hong Kong University, who is an expert and who was quite complimentary about the work we have done.
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223
MR C. K. CHAN (in English):-Mr Chairman, we have a complaints line, telephone 5-95555, receiving complaints about rubbish. I do not know whether the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee can include the complaints of mosquitoes through that hot line too, so that people who have mosquito complaints can also use the same line for complaining about rubbish.
MRS Ho (in English):-Mr Chairman, I think when Mr CHAN reads the statistics which are sent out every month, he will see that on the hot line complaints are not just about rubbish. Other complaints come through and they are dealt with in the same way.
MR CHAN (in English):-I am referring to the TV advertisement and other advertisements which only say that if you have any 'lap sap' complaints, phone this number. I hope in future it can include mosquito complaints as well as 'lap sap'.
MRS Ho (in English):--That is a very good point. When we next do an ADI and scrap this one, we will take that, and in fact all the complaints dealing with Urban Council, into consideration.
MR HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in English):-In connection with complaints referred to by Mr Cheong-Leen, has the Urban Services Department detected any marked increase recently in complaints on mosquito nuisance from the public?
MRS Ho (in English):—Mr Chairman, recently there has been an increase and I understand it is because we have had a very mild winter and the weather has been quite warm which points back to the temperatures being the right time for mosquitoes to breed.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The Urban Services Department may not have had, but the Chairman did detect a great incidence of mosquito bites. (Laughter).
MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, I am sure you do not need an answer to that (Laughter).
MOTIONS
1 MRS GRACE HO, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion: -RESOLVED that the Public Cemeteries (Amendment) By-laws 1979 be made under section 116 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap 132.'
She said (in English):-Mr Chairman, as the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, I rise on the motion standing in my name:
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