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to a maximum fine of $10,000 and 6 months' imprisonment under the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances (Urban Council) By-laws, Cap. 132. During the 12 month period from March 1991 to February 1992, 154 summonses were issued throughout Mong Kok in respect of this particular offence. This includes summonses issued on the spot during periodic late night and early morning anti-litter blitz operations.
As for refuse pilferers who salvage saleable items from litter containers, this is an extremely difficult area. Departmental staff tend to give verbal warnings instead of initiating prosecution action because experience indicates that prosecution action against those who scavenge has a number of practical limitations and complications. For example, most of these litter salvagers are street sleepers, vagrants, unemployed, or old folk without proper family or community care. Some even have mental problems. If they are taken to the Police station, their case may be complicated by the absence of personal identification, the lack of cash to pay bail, and/or other operational problems. Public sympathy is often aroused if they are prosecuted and the Department and the Council can be perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be rather cold-hearted. Furthermore, the Courts usually treat such cases with leniency and penalties cannot always be secured. If such scavengers do not appear in Court following the issue of a summon, more time and efforts may have to be spent in successfully executing a warrant for their arrest. Nevertheless, in spite of these genuine operational difficulties, the Department will monitor the effectiveness of verbal warnings given to these refuse salvagers and, where necessary, seek the assistance of the Police and the Social Welfare Department.
Publicity will be strengthened to alert and to remind the public that it is an offence to deposit litter outside containers. It will be stressed that litter containers are for deposit of small objects such as tissue paper, and are not intended for the reception of household or other bulky waste. Arrangements have been made to disseminate information as to the proper means of waste disposal and the proper use of litter containers through a series of publicity programmes of the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign and these include Radio and TV APIs, as well as posters, etc.
THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the increasing volume of rubbish has been a big problem for Hong Kong. Have we done anything to educate the public not to create more rubbish?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, Mr. MAN has raised a very valid point. In fact, the Public Health Select Committee and also the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign Committee have focused on this point. It is not only within the efforts of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department, but we also have liaised with other Departments such as the Education Department and the EPD to see what more we can do to educate the public. I can say for sure that we are working towards this direction.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
291
MR. YIM KWOK-ON (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. According to the reply provided by Mr. PAO, in para 5, 154 summonses were issued within the 12 month period from March 1991 to February 1992, I think we have not positively taken adequate actions. Perhaps the Urban Council should improve the prosecution procedures. The second question is in paragraph 6. It is mentioned that some of the scavengers may have mental problems. But according to my own observation, usually these scavengers are mentally sound and only a small minority of them have mental problems. Usually they are old people who look for metal containers or saleable items from these litter containers. I think that the Urban Council should do something more positive to solve this problem and also to take out more prosecutions so as to have a deterrent effect. I also agree with my colleagues that educating the public is very important and should be followed up.
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, Mr. YIM said the number of summonses was on a low side and perhaps we could also improve the procedures of taking out prosecutions. I would like to point out that in fact staff of the Urban Services Department will give verbal warnings first before taking out prosecutions. If our citizens dump litter into the litter containers, I think it is much more effective to warn them and to educate them before prosecuting them. I think the citizens will also welcome this move. The prosecution figure seems to be on the low side, because many citizens may have already improved their habits after receiving verbal warnings. As to whether we can improve the procedures of prosecution, I am sure we can ask the Urban Services Department to see whether more effective prosecutions can be taken. As regards the problem of scavengers, I agree with Mr. YIM that not all scavengers suffer from mental problems. Since we can't be sure whether these scavengers have mental problems or not, so we can't adopt one method to deal with them. We must be very careful in dealing with these cases. Secondly, I think in dealing with these scavengers, a more effective means is to strengthen our persuasion and to provide more community care for them. Perhaps, through the USD we can also liaise with other Departments such as the Social Welfare Department to see whether we can help these scavengers further.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In para 4 of the reply, Mr. PAO mentioned that the Department was reviewing the design, the quality as well as the colour scheme of these litter containers. I remember at the Public Health Select Committee meeting, I brought along some photos showing the litter containers from France. I think that the design was quite good but the Department has not yet made a concrete recommendation regarding the design of the existing or future litter containers. Can we have more information showing us that after improving the design of litter containers, they can become more durable and pleasant and will not lead to a situation that people are likely to dump large rubbish in these litter containers?
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Page 119 of 126
290
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
to a maximum fine of $10,000 and 6 months' imprisonment under the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances (Urban Council) By-laws, Cap. 132. During the 12 month period from March 1991 to February 1992, 154 summonses were issued throughout Mong Kok in respect of this particular offence. This includes summonses issued on the spot during periodic late night and early morning anti-litter blitz operations.
As for refuse pilferers who salvage saleable items from litter containers, this is an extremely difficult area. Departmental staff tend to give verbal warnings instead of initiating prosecution action because experience indicates that prosecution action against those who scavenge has a number of practical limitations and complications. For example, most of these litter salvagers are street sleepers, vagrants, unemployed, or old folk without proper family or community care. Some even have mental problems. If they are taken to the Police station, their case may be complicated by the absence of personal identification, the lack of cash to pay bail, and/or other operational problems. Public sympathy is often aroused if they are prosecuted and the Department and the Council can be perceived, rightly or wrongly, to be rather cold-hearted. Furthermore, the Courts usually treat such cases with leniency and penalties cannot always be secured. If such scavengers do not appear in Court following the issue of a summon, more time and efforts may have to be spent in successfully executing a warrant for their arrest. Nevertheless, in spite of these genuine operational difficulties, the Department will monitor the effectiveness of verbal warnings given to these refuse salvagers and, where necessary, seek the assistance of the Police and the Social Welfare Department.
Publicity will be strengthened to alert and to remind the public that it is an offence to deposit litter outside containers. It will be stressed that litter containers are for deposit of small objects such as tissue paper, and are not intended for the reception of household or other bulky waste. Arrangements have been made to disseminate information as to the proper means of waste disposal and the proper use of litter containers through a series of publicity programmes of the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign and these include Radio and TV APIs, as well as posters, etc.
THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the increasing volume of rubbish has been a big problem for Hong Kong. Have we done anything to educate the public not to create more rubbish?
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Mr. MAN has raised a very valid point. In fact, the Public Health Select Committee and also the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign Committee have focused on this point. It is not only within the efforts of the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department, but we also have liaised with other Departments such as the Education Department and the EPD to see what more we can do to educate the public. I can say for sure that we are working towards this direction.
Page 119 of 126
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
291
MR. YIM KWOK-ON (in Cantonese):-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. According to the reply provided by Mr. PÃO, in para 5, 154 summonses were issued within the 12 month period from March 1991 to February 1992, I think we have not positively taken adequate actions. Perhaps the Urban Council should improve the prosecution procedures. The second question is in the paragraph 6. It is mentioned that some of the scavengers may have mental problems. But according to my own observation, usually these scavengers are mentally sound and only a small minority of them have mental problems. Usually they are old people who look for metal containers or saleable items from these litter containers. I think that the Urban Council should do something more positive to solve this problem and also to take out more prosecutions so as to have a deterrent effect. I also agree with my collegaues that educating the public is very important and should be followed up.
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. YIM said the number of summonses was on a low side and perhaps we could also improve the procedures of taking out prosecutions. I would like to point out that in fact staff of the Urban Services Department will give verbal warnings first before taking out prosecutions. If our citizens dump litter into the litter containers, I think it is much more effective to warn them and to educate them before prosecuting them. I think the citizens will also welcome this move. The prosecution figure seems to be on the low side, because many citizens may have already improved their habits after receiving verbal warnings. As to whether we can improve the procedures of presecution, I am sure we can ask the Urban Services Department to see whether more effective prosecutions can be taken. As regards the problem of scavengers, I agree with Mr. YIM that not all scanvergers suffer from mental problems. Since we can't be sure whether these scavengers have mental problems or not, so we can't adopt one method to deal with them. We must be very careful in dealing with these cases. Secondly, I think in dealing with these scanvergers, a more effective means is to strengthen our persuasion and to provide more community care for them. Perhaps, through the USD we can also liaise with other Departments such as the Social Welfare Department to see whether we can help these scanvergers further.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In para 4 of the reply, Mr. PAO mentioned that the Department was reviewing the design, the quality as well as the colour scheme of these litter containers. I remember at the Public Health Select Committee meeting, I brought along some photos showing the litter containers frome France. I think that the design was quite good but the Department has not yet made a concrete recommendation regarding the design of the existing or future litter containers. Can we have more information showing us that after improving the design of litter containers, they can become more durable and pleasant and will not lead to a situation that people are likely to dump large rubbish in these litter containers?
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