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MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, we all know the question. It seems however that someone does not get the main point of this question, will the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee inviting the voluntary agents providing services for the elderly and even the Social Welfare Department to come along and give us their opinions to see how the various bodies can work in hand in hand for the services with one another? In my district, the question raised by Mrs. Chow does exist. As some elderly people may not receive a lot of education, they are not aware of services provided in our library and we do not know what they want. So may be the Libraries Select Committee can consider doing something in this regard. There is no great urgency. Will the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee consider this?
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Madam Chairman, we can indeed consider this.
(Dr. Ronald D. B. LEUNG left the meeting at 4.01 p.m.)
12. MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in English):-Given the fact that the Urban Council has a large number of capital works projects and a need to maintain numerous UC venues, may I know why is it that the Council does not have under its wing a capital works division to look after maintenance and repairs and to undertake such minor works as construction of rest areas and rain shelters?
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question asks why the Council does not have a capital works division to look after maintenance and repairs and to undertake such minor works as the construction of rest areas and rain shelters.
Maintenance services to the some 1 400 Council facilities are being provided by the Maintenance Branch of the Architectural Services Department (ASD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). The Department has given consideration to the suggestion of setting up a maintenance division in the context of an overall review of the existing maintenance services to Council properties. However, detailed costing analysis indicated that such a division would be more costly than the existing arrangements and might not necessarily result in more speedy services. Given the wide range of Urban Council facilities which vary from cultural complexes to unmanned public toilets, the proposed maintenance division will need to be staffed by senior professionals of different disciplines, such as maintenance surveyors, building services engineers and geotechnical staff. The estimated staff costs were found to be much higher than the on-costs currently payable to the two Departments for their services, as the Council will no longer be able to share the use of specialist services from other divisions of ASD and EMSD.
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In the light of this analysis, the Department recommended to the Council in January this year that consideration should be given to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing maintenance service. The approach was accepted by Council and the Property Manager (Planning and Development) is currently working towards this aim, with a view to submitting a separate progress report to Council soon.
As regards the proposal for a UC maintenance division to undertake minor works, it is relevant to note that even the construction of such small items like rain shelters and rest areas will require the professional skills of architects, structural/geotechnical engineers and building services engineers. Accordingly, the staffing and cost implications as analysed above are equally applicable.
MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in Cantonese):-Madam Chairman, we can imagine this if we have a maintenance division of course the cost will go up. However, is the Council aware of that kind of saving is based on the point of sacrificing the interest of community at large. For some projects costing $10,000 or $20,000, sometimes there is a delay for one year or more before it is completed. So for this kind of saving, it will mean that there will be delay in providing services to the community and impairing the quality of services.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):-Madam Chairman, for the time being, we have no statistics to confirm that this saving will cause pain to members of the public not to enjoy such facilities. According to the review or study in January, for these minor construction works, they must be up to standard, otherwise in future, the maintenance cost will be even higher. Regarding maintenance, the delay is due to the provision of special equipments or special spare parts. If the Council or Urban Services Department is to do the work itself, it may not mean that the work can be completed more quickly than the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. The delay is due to the matter of coordination. The Council and Urban Services Department have looked at the issue. Regarding the arrangement of works, this arrangement will shorten the time, there have been significant improvement already e.g. regarding indoor games halls. Now if there are repairs if there are light bulbs going out of order, does it really take three days or seven days before the situation can be ratified? Well, if we have adequate spare parts, I believe that within one day the light bulbs can be changed. But if we do not have the spare parts, then whichever body to take up the work, the problem will stay with us. I believe however the improvements have been made.
13. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):- I frequently receive complaints about the state of toilets in restaurants---that they are too small, they are badly ventilated, they are not cleaned frequently enough. Could I please be told whether there are any minimum measurements prescribed for male and female toilets in restaurants and if so what these are. Also could I be
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MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, we all know the question. It seems however that someone does not get the main point of this question, will the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee inviting the voluntary agents providing services for the elderly and even the Social Welfare Department to come along and give us their opinions to see how the various bodies can work in hand in hand for the services with one another? In my district, the question raised by Mrs. Cнow does exist. As some elderly people may not receive a lot of education, they are not aware of services provided in our library and we do not know what they want. So may be the Libraries Select Committee can consider doing something in this regard. There is no great urgency. Will the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee consider this?
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Madam Chairman, we can indeed consider this.
(Dr. Ronald D. B. LEUNG left the meeting at 4.01 p.m.)
12. MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in English):-Given the fact that the Urban Council has a large number of capital works projects and a need to maintain numerous UC venues, may I know why is it that the Council does not have under its wing a capital works division to look after maintenance and repairs and to undertake such minor works as construction of rest areas and rain shelters?
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question asks why the Council does not have a capital works division to look after maintenance and repairs and to undertake such minor works as the construction of rest areas and rain shelters.
Maintenance services to the some 1 400 Council facilities are being provided by the Maintenance Branch of the Architectural Services Department (ASD) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). The Department has given consideration to the suggestion of setting up a main- tenance division in the context of an overall review of the existing maintenance services to Council properties. However, detailed costing analysis indicated that such a division would be more costly than the existing arrangements and might not necessarily result in more speedy services. Given the wide range of Urban Council facilities which vary from cultural complexes to unmanned public toilets, the proposed maintenance division will need to be staffed by senior professionals of different disciplines, such as maintenance surveyors, building services engineers and geotechnical staff. The estimated staff costs were found to be much higher than the on-costs currently payable to the two Departments for their services, as the Council will no longer be able to share the use of specialist services from other divisions of ASD and EMSD.
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In the light of this analysis, the Department recommended to the Council in January this year that consideration should be given to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the existing maintenance service. The approach was accepted by Council and the Property Manager (Planning and Development) is currently working towards this aim, with a view to submitting a separate progress report to Council soon.
As regards the proposal for a UC maintenance division to undertake minor works, it is relevant to note that even the construction of such small items like rain shelters and rest areas will require the professional skills of architects, structural/geotechnical engineers and building services engineers. Accordingly, the staffing and cost implications as analysed above are equally applicable.
MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in Cantonese):-Madam Chairman, we can imagine this if we have a maintenance division of course the cost will go up. However, is the Council aware of that kind of saving is based on the point of sacrificing the interest of community at large. For some projects costing $10,000 or $20,000, sometimes there is a delay for one year or more before it is completed. So for this kind of saving, it will mean that there will be delay in providing services to the community and impairing the quality of services.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):-Madam Chairman, for the time being, we have no statistics to confirm that this saving will cause pain to members of the public not to enjoy such facilities. According to the review or study in January, for these minor construction works, they must be up to standard, otherwise in future, the maintenance cost will be even higher. Regarding maintenance, the delay is due to the provision of special equipments or special spare parts. If the Council or Urban Services Department is to do the work itself, it may not mean that the work can be completed more quickly than the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. The delay is due to the matter of coordination. The Council and Urban Services Department have looked at the issue. Regarding the arrangement of works, this arrangement will shorten the time, there have been significant improvement already e.g. regarding indoor games halls. Now if there are repairs if there are light bulbs going out of order, does it really take three days or seven days before the situation can be ratified? Well, if we have adequate spare parts, I believe that within one day the light bulbs can be changed. But if we do not have the spare parts, then whichever body to take up the work, the problem will stay with us. I believe however the improvements have been made.
13. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):- I frequently receive complaints about the state of toilets in restaurants---that they are too small, they are badly ventilated, they are not cleaned frequently enough. Could I please be told whether there are any minimum measurements prescribed for male and female toilets in restaurants and if so what these are. Also could I be
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