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good conditon. Out of a hundred utensils, if fifty are cracked or chipped, that would be regarded as a large number. In the cases of the patrons being hurt by cracked or chipped utensils, the patrons should lodge complains as soon as possible and our staff will be most willing to carry out investigation on the spot.

MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, apart from warning and prosecution, are there any other more tangible methods to deal with the problem because cracked or chipped utensils should not be used at all. Do we have any power to confiscate these cracked or chipped utensils apart from giving warning or making prosecution?

MR. L. H. KWAN (in Cantonese): Our inspectors would of course not confiscate these cracked or chipped utensils on the spot. After warning if the restaurant operators cease to use any cracked or chipped utensils of course, the utensils will not be confiscated.

8. MR. RONNIE M. C. WONG asked the following question (in Can- tonese):-May I ask:

(a) What other measure this Council is adopting or plan to adopt in dealing with the garbage on the beaches drifted from off-shore apart from just picking them up?

(b) What measure this Council is taking to improve the quality of beach water

which is deteriorating?

MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHairman of the Recreation Select Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns beach water pollu- tion, and is in two parts: the first part asks what measures Council is adopting or plans to adopt in dealing with water borne refuse at the beaches; the second part concerns measures Council is taking to improve the quality of breach water.

There are two methods used to collect seaborne refuse before it lands on Urban Council beaches; a 'sea-cat' which is a modified rescue catamaran, and refuse booms.

The sea-cat was introduced in 1979 to replace the collection of sea-borne refuse by a small sampan fleet operating from a mother craft. The mechanized collection process designed for the sea-cats has increased the efficiency of the system which had been formerly used by the crew of the sampan, i.e. using hand held nets to collect floating refuse. The 12 gazetted bathing beaches on Hong Kong Island are equipped with 8 sea-cats. (Annex I)

The refuse boom comprises specially-made buoys, mounted on a polyethylene rope, from which is suspended a weighted net to collect floating refuse. The first boom was installed on a trial basis at Repulse Bay Beach in June 1984. The refuse boom was found to be effective and was extended to other popular beaches such as Deep Water Bay and Stanley Main Beach. Consideration is being given to installing booms at other beaches.

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With the establishment of the Environmental Protection Department on 1 April 1986 responsibility for monitoring and improving beach water quality was transferred from the Council. Environmental protection Department carries out regular monitoring of beach water quality and their findings are passed to the Council. The Department is in regular contact with Environmental Protec- tion Department to ensure that where beach water quality is deteriorating, the source of pollution is identified and steps taken to alleviate the situation.

This Council is actively involved in anti-pollution measures both through this scheme and through the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign.

MR. RONNIE M. C. WONG (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, with regard to the refuse booms, its function is to screen off the refuse so that the refuse cannot reach the beaches. However if the wind direction changes, the refuse will reach the rocky beaches next to the gazetted beaches. In other words, the refuse will reach the shore all the same. I would like to know what ways will be suggested by the department to deal with this problem?

MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese):-We haven't studied whether or not to collect the refuse outside the beach area so that these refuse will not go to the rocky beaches in case of changes of wind direction. If we have sufficient manpower, we will certainly deal with it.

The distribution of sea-cats and refuse booms

Beach

Deep Water Bay

Repulse Bay (also serves

Middle and South Bay and Chung Hom Kok)

Stanley Main (also serves Hair Pin, St, Stephens and Turtle Cove)

Shek O

Annex I

Sea-cats

Refuse Booms

2

1

2 (incl. one

1

fibre glass type)

2

1

2

Note: Due to the prevailing rough sea conditions at Rocky Bay and Big Wave

Bay the use of sea-cats is precluded.

9. MR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG asked the following question (in Eng- lish):-There is widespread public concern about the sale of tainted choi sum to the public, and the subsequent widespread food poisoning. It appears that there were various authorities involved in the handling of the case, i.e. the Municipal Services Branch, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department and of course the Urban Services Department. Where do the responsibilities of these bodies lie, in particular those of the Urban Services Department? Since, at least in the eyes of