1995 — Page 202

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 202 of 485

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

177

Mr. Wu Chi-wai (in Cantonese):-I have a few follow-up questions. Firstly, from the figures we can see that about 26,000 to 27,000 prosecutions are taken by the Department against litterbugs each year. Is this figure some kind of a quota to be filled? Would the mission be deemed accomplished when 27,000 litterbugs have been prosecuted in that particular year?

Secondly, a lot of Filipino maids gather in the Statue Square in Central on Sundays. I want to know if special Task Force squads are deployed there every Sunday to take action against litterbugs and, if so, why isn't there any improvement in cleanliness in the Square?

MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-In fact, nothing special is shown from the prosecution figures. If the Department had taken no action and no one got prosecuted, one could have said that there was not a single litterbug in Hong Kong. The present prosecution figure does not suggest that the mission is accomplished with some 26,000 litterbugs prosecuted. Neither the Department nor the Council has set this as a policy or target. If someone deliberately breaks the law and is caught on the spot by our Department staff, he or she will definitely be prosecuted.

As for the area near Statue Square, on every Sunday special enforcement officers are deployed to patrol the area and I will not agree that there has been no improvement whatsoever. The situation has been greatly improved and the Filipino maids have been very cooperative as the Department has launched several publicity campaigns to help keep the area clean. The Consul General of the Philippines has also held joint cleaning campaigns with us and many Filipino organisations have taken part. They also get the message. They are of the view that since they work in Hong Kong, they are part of the community and therefore have the responsibility to keep the city clean. So I would say that there has been some improvement over the recent years.

MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I wish to follow up on paragraph 5 of the reply paper. It is said that we have some 500 officers responsible for booking litterbugs. Is this a special task team to prosecute litterbugs? It is also said that there are another 1,000 officers in other Branches of the Department who are authorized to do the same, i.e., to book litterbugs. I would like to know if they will be given extra duty allowance and if not, what are their working arrangements and how are they remunerated?

MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—If no overtime job is done, no extra allowance will be given. These officers are from, say, the Recreation, Amenities and Sports Section or Environmental Health Section. They are not specially tasked to catch litterbugs. They are just authorised, at the same time, to take prosecution action against litter offences. Officers in other Government departments such as the police, the Customs and Excise, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department are also delegated the same authority, so the number of litterbugs mentioned in the

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Page 202 of 485 Page 202 of 485 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 177 Mr. Wu Chi-wai (in Cantonese):-I have a few follow-up questions. Firstly, from the figures we can see that about 26,000 to 27,000 prosecutions are taken by the Department against litterbugs each year. Is this figure some kind of a quota to be filled? Would the mission be deemed accomplished when 27,000 litterbugs have been prosecuted in that particular year? Secondly, a lot of Filipino maids gather in the Statue Square in Central on Sundays. I want to know if special Task Force squads are deployed there every Sunday to take action against litterbugs and, if so, why isn't there any improvement in cleanliness in the Square? MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-In fact, nothing special is shown from the prosecution figures. If the Department had taken no action and no one got prosecuted, one could have said that there was not a single litterbug in Hong Kong. The present prosecution figure does not suggest that the mission is accomplished with some 26,000 litterbugs prosecuted. Neither the Department nor the Council has set this as a policy or target. If someone deliberately breaks the law and is caught on the spot by our Department staff, he or she will definitely be prosecuted. As for the area near Statue Square, on every Sunday special enforcement officers are deployed to patrol the area and I will not agree that there has been no improvement whatsoever. The situation has been greatly improved and the Filipino maids have been very cooperative as the Department has launched several publicity campaigns to help keep the area clean. The Consul General of the Philippines has also held joint cleaning campaigns with us and many Filipino organisations have taken part. They also get the message. They are of the view that since they work in Hong Kong, they are part of the community and therefore have the responsibility to keep the city clean. So I would say that there has been some improvement over the recent years. MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I wish to follow up on paragraph 5 of the reply paper. It is said that we have some 500 officers responsible for booking litterbugs. Is this a special task team to prosecute litterbugs? It is also said that there are another 1,000 officers in other Branches of the Department who are authorized to do the same, i.e., to book litterbugs. I would like to know if they will be given extra duty allowance and if not, what are their working arrangements and how are they remunerated? MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—If no overtime job is done, no extra allowance will be given. These officers are from, say, the Recreation, Amenities and Sports Section or Environmental Health Section. They are not specially tasked to catch litterbugs. They are just authorised, at the same time, to take prosecution action against litter offences. Officers in other Government departments such as the police, the Customs and Excise, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department are also delegated the same authority, so the number of litterbugs mentioned in the Page 202 of 485 Page 202 of 485

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Page 202 of 485 Page 202 of 485 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 177 Mr. Wu Chi-waI (in Cantonese):-I have a few follow-up questions. Firstly, from the figures we can see that about 26 000 to 27 000 prosecutions are taken by the Department against litterbugs each year. Is this figure some kind of a quota to be filled? Would the mission be deemed accomplished when 27 000 litterbugs have been prosecuted in that particular year? Secondly, a lot of Filipino maids gather in the Statue Square in Central on Sundays. I want to know if special Task Force squads are deployed there every Sunday to take action against litterbugs and, if so, why isn't there any improvement in cleanliness in the Square? MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-In fact nothing special is shown from the prosecution figures. If the Department had taken no action and no one got prosecuted, one could have said that there was not a single litterbug in Hong Kong. The present prosecution figure does not suggest that the mission is accomplished with some 20 000 litterbugs prosecuted. Neither the Department nor the Council has set this as a policy or target. If someone deliberately breaks the law and is caught on the spot by our Department staff, he or she will definitely be prosecuted. As for the area near Statue Square, on every Sunday special enforcement officers are deployed to patrol the area and I will not agree that there has been no improvement whatsoever. The situation has been greatly improved and the Filipino maids have been very cooperative as the Department has launched several publicity campaigns to help keep the area clean. The Consul General of the Philippines has also held joint cleaning campaigns with us and many Filipino organisations have taken part. They also get the message. They are of the view that since they work in Hong Kong, they are part of the community and therefore have the responsibility to keep the city clean. So I would say that there has been some improvement over the recent years. MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I wish to follow up on paragraph 5 of the reply paper. It is said that we have some 500 officers responsible for booking litterbugs. Is this a special task team to prosecute litterbugs? It is also said that there are another 1 000 officers in other Branches of the Department who are authorized to do the same, i.e., to book litterbugs. I would like to know if they will be given extra duty allowance and if not, what are their working arrangements and how are they remunerated? MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—If no overtime job is done, no extra allowance will be given. These officers are from, say, the Recreation. Amenities and Sports Section or Environmental Health Section. They are not specially tasked to catch litterbugs. They are just authorised, at the same time, to take prosecution action against litter offences. Officers in other Government departments such as the police, the Customs and Excise, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department are also delegated the same authority, so the number of litterbugs mentioned in the Page 202 of 485 Page 202 of 485

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Page 202 of 485

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

177

Mr. Wu Chi-waI (in Cantonese):-I have a few follow-up questions. Firstly, from the figures we can see that about 26 000 to 27 000 prosecutions are taken by the Department against litterbugs each year. Is this figure some kind of a quota to be filled? Would the mission be deemed accomplished when 27 000 litterbugs have been prosecuted in that particular year?

MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-In fact nothing special is shown from the prosecution figures. If the Department had taken no action and no one got prosecuted, one could have said that there was not a single litterbug in Hong Kong. The present prosecution figure does not suggest that the mission is accomplished with some 20 000 litterbugs prosecuted. Neither the Department nor the Council has set this as a policy or target. If someone deliberately breaks the law and is caught on the spot by our Department staff, he or she will definitely be prosecuted.

MR. WU CHI-WAI (in Cantonese):—I wish to follow up on paragraph 5 of the reply paper. It is said that we have some 500 officers responsible for booking litterbugs. Is this a special task team to prosecute litterbugs? It is also said that there are another 1 000 officers in other Branches of the Department who are authorized to do the same, i.e., to book litterbugs. I would like to know if they will be given extra duty allowance and if not, what are their working arrangements and how are they remunerated?

MR. CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—If no overtime job is done, no extra allowance will be given. These officers are from, say, the Recreation. Amenities and Sports Section or Environmental Health Section. They are not specially tasked to catch litterbugs. They are just authorised, at the same time, to take prosecution action against litter offences. Officers in other Government departments such as the police, the Customs and Excise, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department are also delegated the same authority, so the number of litterbugs mentioned in the

1995 — Page 202

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