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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MISS TAM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, about the liaison in individual cases, the Council will issue a letter to the applicant, telling him that there's no objection to his application in accordance with Public Health Ordinance, and he has to obtain permission from other departments for operation. If there are problems in the lease conditions, I don't know whether we will write any special letter for them or not as I haven't seen all the case files. Any way, there is liaison between departments, but in memorandum form.

8. MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question (in English):-Does the Urban Council have responsibility for public health in public housing estates? If so, can I receive a report on the conditions pertaining outside the garbage rooms in Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate?

DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL Hygiene SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns the Council's responsibility for public health in public housing estates and is in two parts.

The answer to the first part of the question is 'Yes. The Urban Council does have responsibility for public health in public housing estates'.

In answer to the second part of the question, Urban Services Department staff have carried out an inspection of ten of the fourteen blocks in the Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate. The Housing Department employs private contractors to collect domestic refuse from the flats in these blocks and to dispose of it through the refuse chutes in the garbage rooms which are provided on each floor.

In three of the blocks inspected, the areas outside the garbage rooms were in a reasonable condition although there was room for improvement. In the other seven blocks, there were accumulations of domestic refuse outside the garbage rooms. The problem appears to be that, for security reasons, it is the usual practice to keep the garbage rooms locked for most of the day. There have been instances in the past of persons hiding in the garbage rooms waiting for an opportunity to assault unsuspecting tenants leaving or returning home. There is also the danger that young children might enter garbage rooms and fall down refuse chutes.

Urban Services Department staff have discussed the problem with Housing Department staff and have suggested that, in order to eliminate the nuisance caused by the indiscriminate dumping of refuse outside the garbage rooms, consideration should be given to the following measures:-

(i) an appeal to tenants not to deliver their domestic refuse to garbage rooms

but to make full use of the door-to-door collection service provided;

(ii) the prosecution of any persons found dumping refuse outside garbage

rooms;

(iii) the provision of openings with swing flaps--something on the lines of a large letter box-in the walls of garbage rooms which would allow residents to deposit refuse in them if they chose to dispose of it themselves;

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(iv) the provision of locks on the doors of the refuse chute hoppers in garbage rooms which would remain closed until used by cleansing contractors. This would eliminate the danger of children climbing through wall openings and falling down chutes.

DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-I thank Mrs. ELLIOTT for raising this question which is not only confined to Lower Ngau Tau Kok Estate, this may also happen in many public housing estates.

MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I notice that the blame is put firstly on non-cooperation of tenants and secondly, the fact that the garbage rooms have to be locked for security reasons. I know this is correct, but I wonder if the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee has really investigated the main reason which was going on even this morning, and also when it was visited both by the tenants and others in the estates. The real problem is that garbage collected by profit making contractors, who, in order to save expenses and make more profits, are employing old men and women of 60 to 70 years of age. They know nothing about garbage collection and are not really able to do their job, do you know that?

DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—about the ages of persons collecting garbages, I can't answer. But 10 years ago, I did inspect the Tsz Wan Shan Estate and some other neighbouring estates, this was really common happening, but I cannot say that the tenants were co-operative because at that time, all the doors were opened, so the garbage room became a garbage collection room. The tenants did not make proper use of the refuse chutes, so after several accidents, the Housing Department locked up the garbage rooms. About cleansing, I think the Housing Department may consider it cheaper to employ private contractors for in the past, they did not employ contractors but did the work themselves and the expense was greater. As to whether this is the reason for Housing Department to employ older people, I don't know. But I shall convey Mrs. ELLIOTT's opinion to the Housing Department and see what's the efficiency of those employed for refuse collection. But I don't exclude the possibility that the tenants dump refuse outside the garbage room, and this possibility is very high.

MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):—Mr. Chairman, we are going to have a motion today on keeping Hong Kong clean. I wonder in view of the actual situation, would the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee consider putting before his committee the possibility of making representation to the Housing Authority to see whether they can change their system of garbage collection or hand it over to the Urban Services Department so that we have people employed who are accountable and not just people who can do what they like and contractors who make their money and don't know what happens.

DR. HUANG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the Vice-Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee is the Chairman of the Clean Hong

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