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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCILThe fact of life in a highly technological society is that all agricultural products will rely on chemicals for killing insects and for enrichment of production. The famous Methamidophos for Hong Kong is but one nasty pesticide being used. Other less harmful chemicals are also used in the farms. They have been detected already in Hong Kong when sample checks are routinely performed. To the food scientists, strict control over one insecticide like Methamidophos is no reliable measure to remove the harmful effects of insecticide because other chemicals and other insecticides might also be used. All insect killing chemicals are harmful to some extent when we ingest them during our meals. What needs to be done therefore is a close watch on all possible insecticide contaminations and advise consumers to have thorough washing and safe preparation before consumption. The data about insecticides being detected, their frequencies of appearance, their effective means of removal should all be properly lined up so that when there is a fresh outbreak of a new insecticide, the public may immediately have the figures and apply the technique of self protection.
If people do not like Victoria harbour water for restaurant aquaria, the Department should be capable of providing data of harbour water contamination, data on available means and cost of sea water sterilization and data regarding the components of the fish that will be contaminated. Instructions could therefore be given on which part of the fish could or could not be eaten after cooking.
If the Department is in possession of data concerning bacterial contamination of fresh market pork, it will not be helpless when academics made smeared cultures and threatened the public about the contaminated state. If the Department has data of other countries which showed a contamination rate of 10%-100%, it could easily explain to the public that there should be no panic: the Hong Kong contamination so far is acceptable because worse records are found in other meat in other countries. Having said that, the Department should also look into ways to ensure the clean handling of fresh meat from the stage of slaughter house to individual butchers. A code of practice is useful for the large number of lazy, careless butchers and practical reminders should be given also to the housewives for proper cooking.
There are so many varieties and so many components within the food items which could be harmful to the human being. These might include chemicals, dyes, preservatives. Effective data of the important common components should now be worked out so that in case fresh incidence occurs, there could be quick response and no panic.
If the Departments involved have not done that in the past, if they want to be responsible, they should be prepared to do so now.
Littering has always been a problem in Hong Kong. There is the general littering and specific ones like dog passings and medical wastes. While the cleansing manpower under the Department is well known to be frequently inefficient, on-trial privatising the street cleaning work should be continued systemically and seriously at a faster speed. If the number of dogs leaving passings around were not known, how could effective measures be taken? Short of those data, it also means that educating the owners for a proper control will be impossible.
While domestic refuse should be handled by the Department, we all see poorly managed privately-owned refuse collecting vans running about, littering and soiling our streets. We could not even discuss about the seriousness of the matter because we do not know the number of such vans and private firms making use of those vans. We do not even know how many of those vehicles were actually old, outdated and condemned machines from our Department.
Medical wastes form a sentimental issue, not because of their volume but because of the threat to diseases, notably AIDS. We could argue that medical wastes do not belong to the Domestic Category. Nevertheless, private practitioners in town consider their clinics their domestic dwellings. We could work together with the Professional Body of the Medical Circle, viz., the Hong Kong Medical Association, to collect effective data concerning the volume of such wastes and recommend and enforce on channels of disposal. Towards the latter end, mechanisms of refuse collection need to be involved. Our refuse collecting service does not need to take over all the responsibility, but it needs to flexibly contribute towards a practical disposal of medical wastes. Then, after doing that, the syringes and medical wastes assumed to be addict-related appearing on the beaches and street corners could safely be left to the police.
We need to review our policy on public health and hygiene. Instead of taking a mainly defensive approach, we could follow an alternative one with strengthened preventive orientation. This positive approach will allow timely and effective responses to be given to the Public on outbreaks of hygiene issues. This practical effective approach can be done by having the useful data on record and having the service branch ready to take immediate step-by-step emergency measures on the appearance of issues, to give the useful data and to redefine the current state. With this scientific approach installed as the basic mechanism to meet crisis, the likelihood of having the public misled to panicky reactions will be minimized. With this scientific approach, other more positive approaches e.g. reduction of wastes and recycling of waste products could be initiated.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, may I support the motion.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I have initially prepared a speech on the topic for today's debate. However, I have made certain amendments after yesterday's Recreation Select Committee meeting. It is hoped the amended version can reflect the facts better, and will be more constructive and alerting in nature.
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Page 91 of 131
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The fact of life in a highly technological society is that all agricultural products will rely on chemicals for killing insects and for enrichment of production. The famous Methamidophos for Hong Kong is but one nasty pesticide being used. Other less harmful chemicals are also used in the farms. They have been detected already in Hong Kong when sample checks are routinely performed. To the food scientists, strict control over one insecticide like Methamidophos is no reliable measure to remove the harmful effects of insecticide because other chemicals and other insecticides might also be used. All insect killing chemicals are harmful to some extent when we ingest them during our meals. What needs to be done therefore is a close watch on all possible insecticide contaminations and advise consumers to have thorough washing and safe preparation before consumption. The data about insecticides being detected, their frequencies of appearance, their effective means of removal should all be properly lined up so that when there is a fresh outbreak of a new insecticide, the public may immediately have the figures and apply the technique of self protection.
If people do not like Victoria harbour water for restaurant aquaria, the Department should be capable of providing data of harbour water contamination, data on available means and cost of sea water sterilization and data regarding the components of the fish that will be contaminated. Instructions could therefore be given on which part of the fish could or could not be eaten after cooking.
If the Department is in possession of data concerning bacterial contamination of fresh market pork, it will not be helpless when academics made smeared cultures and threatened the public about the contaminated state. If the Department has data of other countries which showed a contamination rate of 10%-100%, it could easily explain to the public that there should be no panic: the Hong Kong contamination so far is acceptable because worse records are found in other meat in other countries. Having said that, the Department should also look into ways to ensure the clean handling of fresh meat from the stage of slaughter house to individual butchers. A code of practice is useful for the large number of lazy, careless butchers and practical reminders should be given also to the housewives for proper cooking.
There are so many varieties and so many components within the food items which could be harmful to the human being. These might include chemicals, dyes, preservatives. Effective data of the important common components should now be worked out so that in case fresh incidence occurs, there could be quick response and no panic.
If the Departments involved have not done that in the past, if they want to be responsible, they should be prepared to do so now.
Littering has always been a problem in Hong Kong. There is the general littering and specific ones like dog passings and medical wastes. While the cleansing manpower under the Department is well known to be frequently
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
inefficient, on-trial privatising the street cleaning work should be continued systemically and seriously at a faster speed. If the number of dogs leaving passings around were not known, how could effective measures be taken? Short up of those data, it also means that educating the owners for a proper control will be impossible.
While domestic refuse should be handled by the Department, we all see poorly managed privately-owned refuse collecting vans running about, littering and soiling our streets. We could not even discuss about the seriousness of the matter because we do not know the number of such vans and private firms making use of those vans. We do not even know how many of those vehicles were actually old, outdated and condemned machines from our Department.
own
Medical wastes form a sentimental issue, not because of their volume but because of the threat to diseases, notably AIDS. We could argue that medical wastes do not belong to the Domestic Category. Nevertheless, private practitioners in town consider their clinics their domestic dwellings. We could work together with the Professional Body of the Medical Circle, viz., the Hong Kong Medical Association, to collect effective data concerning the volume of such wastes and recommend and enforce on channels of disposal. Towards the latter end, mechanisms of refuse collection need to be involved. Our refuse collecting service does not need to take over all the responsibility, but it needs to flexibly contribute towards a practical disposal of medical wastes. Then, after doing that, the syringes and medical wastes assumed to be addict-related appearing on the beaches and street corners could safely be left to the police.
We need to review our policy on public health and hygiene. Instead of taking a mainly defensive approach, we could follow an alternative one with strengthened preventive orientation. This positive approach will allow timely and effective responses to be given to the Public on outbreaks of hygiene issues. This practical effective approach can be done by having the useful data on record and having the service branch ready to take immediate step-by-step emergency measures on the appearance of issues, to give the useful data and to redefine the current state. With this scientific approach installed as the basic mechanism to meet crisis, the likelihood of having the public misled to panicky reactions will be minimized. With this scientific approach, other more positive approaches e.g. reduction of wastes and recycling of waste products could be initiated.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, may I support the motion.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonesc): Mr. Chairman, I have initially prepared a speech on the topic for today's debate. However, I have made certain amendments after yesterday's Recreation Select Committee meeting. It is hoped the amended version can reflect the facts better, and will be more constructive and alerting in nature.
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