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washed down. They are really appreciative of cooperation of the USD departmental staff. All the refuse has been removed within 4-5 hours. Concerning the incident or the blockage of drains on Princess Margaret Road, we have to clarify with the Department concerned because I do not have any information.
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): For refuse on the road surface this is the joint responsibility of the Drainage Services Department and the USD. In times of torrential downpour it is imaginable that sometimes flooding cannot be prevented. I understand from the Department that the gully gang as well as the anti-flood gang have been deployed as normal. Despite the operations, we still had some instances of flooding which were attributable to the particularly torrential downpour. I am sure that the Department has done a good job.
THE HON. MARVIN CHEUNG KIN-TUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, my question was that if the answer to my first question from the Hon. Dr. Samuel WONG is to the effect that the Highways Department are responsible for certain cleansing rather than the USD, then my follow-up question suggested that the blockage to the drains at Princess Margaret Road is not really within the responsibility of the USD. Could we ask some body to confirm that?
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Put in a question form? That is only a statement.
THE HON. MARVIN CHEUNG KIN-TUNG (in English):—Could I ask some body to confirm that, if that is the case? Can some body please confirm that?
DR. THE HON. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):—I do not think there is a clear demarcation of responsibility but if it is a flyover or an elevated walkway, the cleansing of those parts are clearly the responsibility of the Highways Department. But I think in most cases an unfortunate thing is some of the rubbish being dumped there overnight by hawkers, and so this was washed down to the drain and it covered up the drain and blocked the drain but not in the case of Princess Margaret Road, I agree.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—Dr. Leung said a moment ago in the built-up areas there are four cleansings a day. I would like to know how do you define built-up areas. Are you saying for average streets they are cleaned four times a day?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—According to the replies from the Department, basically it is a routine thing to clean the streets four times but for particularly filthy areas or built-up areas, the operational frequencies can be stepped up to say 5 or 6 times a day. As to which areas would have stepped up frequencies and what principles there are, I think that I can certainly refer the question to the Department and provide Mr. WONG with an answer direct.
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MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):—For built-up areas, as far as I know built-up areas exist every where in Hong Kong. For built-up areas are you saying that they would certainly have more than four cleansings a day and how do you actually define non-built-up areas with less than four times a day?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I have just undertaken to follow this up with the Department.
DR. THE HON. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I think sometimes the refuse is washed down to the drains. It is probably because of the lack of enough litter bins or lack of large litter bins. I wonder whether at blackspot areas more litter bins can be provided?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—As I said a moment ago the Department is considering increasing the size of the litter bins as well as the number of litter bins. I think that Mr. WONG's suggestion can be reflected to the Department.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, in paragraph 9, it says that on 8 May flooding occurred in many parts of Hong Kong but that did not occur in Tai Kok Tsui. Tai Kok Tsui is an area where we have the contracting-out trial scheme. Does it mean that the contracting-out scheme can provide a better service than the service provided by the Department, and is it because of this reason that under the contracting-out scheme we can spare the flooding and in other areas where we have service provided by the USD we have floodings. Are you saying that the service provided by the Department is worse than the contracting-out service? Should we review the quality of service provided by the USD?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, well in my reply, I mentioned the contracting-out trial scheme of manual street cleansing, up until this moment we have not got enough time to really carry out a review. Until a review is conducted, there is no way we can assume or presume that the scheme is a success or a failure nor can we assume that it is so successful that we have been spared the flooding. Mr. CHAN's assumption is an interesting one but I am unable to answer.
MR. CHAN KWOK-MING (in Cantonese):—I do not think that Mr. Chan's question is so ideal. I would like to ask Dr. Leung that in Tai Kok Tsui we did have a flooding on 8 May. Flooding occurred between 7.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. in the morning. In paragraph 9, it says that there was no flooding in Tai Kok Tsui. What criteria were adopted by the Department in saying that as I have witnessed flooding in Tai Kok Tsui myself. As regards the contracting-out service in Tai Kok Tsui, I do not think it has been so successful. Sometimes when the refuse is collected it is just dumped in the refuse collection point and they are not cleared away immediately. So can I be given an answer why it was claimed by the Department that there was no problem in Tai Kok Tsui?
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washed down. They are really appreciative of cooperation of the USD departmental staff. All the refuse has been removed within 4-5 hours. Concerning the incident or the blockage of drains on Princess Margaret Road, we have to clarify with the Department concerned because I do not have any information.
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): For refuse on the road surface this is the joint responsibility of the Drainage Services Department and the USD. In times of torrential downpour it is imaginable that sometimes flooding cannot be prevented. I understand from the Department that the gully gang as well as the anti-flood gang have been deployed as normal. Despite the operations, we still had some instances of flooding which were attributable to the particularly torrential downpour. I am sure that the Department has done a good job.
THE HON. MARVIN CHEUNG KIN-TUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, my question was that if the answer to my first question from the Hon. Dr. Samuel WONG is the effect that the Highways Department are responsible for certain cleansing rather than the USD, then my follow-up question suggested that the blockage to the drains at Princess Margaret Road is not really within the responsibility of the USD. Could we ask some body to confirm that?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Put in a question form? That is only a statement.
THE HON. MARVIN CHEUNG KIN-TUNG (in English):—Could I ask some body to confirm that, if that is the case? Can some body please confirm that?
DR. THE HON. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):-I do not think there is a clear demarcation or responsibility but if it is a flyover or an elevated walkway, the cleansing of those parts are clearly the responsibility of the Highways Department. But I think in most cases an unfortunate thing is some of the rubbish being dumped there overnight by hawkers, and so this was watered down to the drain and it covered up the drain and blocked the drain but not in the case of Princess Margaret Road, I agree.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):-Dr. Leung said a moment ago in the built-up areas there are four cleansings a day. I would like to know how do you define built-up areas. Are you saying for average streets they are cleaned four times a day?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-According to the replies from the Department, basically it is a routine thing to clean the streets four times but for particularly filthy areas or built-up areas, the operational frequencies can be stepped up to say 5 or 6 times a day. As to which areas would have stepped up frequencies and what principles there are, I think that I can certainly refer the question to the Department and provide Mr. WONG with an answer direct.
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MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):-For built-up areas, as far as I know built-up areas exist every where in Hong Kong. For built-up areas are you saying that they would certainly have more than four cleansings a day and how do you actually define non-built-up areas with less than four times a day?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I have just undertaken to follow this up with the Department.
DR. THE HON. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I think sometimes the refuse is washed down to the drains. It is probably because of the lack of enough litter bins or lack of large litter bins. I wonder whether at blackspot areas more litter bins can be provided?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):- -As I said a moment ago the Department is considering increasing the size of the litter bins as well as the number of litter bins. I think that Mr. WONG's suggestion can be reflected to the Department.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in paragraph 9, it says that on 8 May flooding occurred in many parts of Hong Kong but that did not occur in Tai Kok Tsui. Tai Kok Tsui is an area where we have the contracting-out trial scheme. Does it mean that the contracting-out scheme can provide a better service than the service provided by the Department, and is it because of this reason that under the contracting-out scheme we can spare the flooding and in other areas where we have service provided by the USD we have floodings. Are you saying that the service provided by the Department is worse than the contracting-out service? Should we review the quality of service provided by the USD?
DR. LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, well in my reply, I mentioned the contracting-out trial scheme of manual street cleansing, up until this moment we have not got enough time to really carry out a review. Until a review is conducted, there is no way we can assume or presume that the scheme is a success or a failure nor can we assume that it is so successful that we have been spared the flooding. Mr. CHAN's assumption is an interesting one but I am unable to answer.
MR. CHAN KWOK-MING (in Cantonese):—I do not think that Mr. Chan's question is so ideal. I would like to ask Dr. Leung that in Tai Kok Tsui we did have a flooding on 8 May. Flooding occurred between 7.00 a.m. and 10.00 a.m. in the morning. In paragraph 9, it says that there was no flooding in Tai Kok Tsui. What criteria were adopted by the Department in saying that as I have witnessed flooding in Tai Kok Tsui myself. As regards the contracting-out service in Tai Kok Tsui, I do not think it has been so successful. Sometimes when the refuse is collected it is just dumped in the refuse collection point and they are not cleared away immediately. So can I be given an answer why it was claimed by the Department that there was no problem in Tai Kok Tsui?
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