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we (the Urban Services Department) are playing a passive role. Both incidents became the talk of the town and aroused people's concern about the safety standards of carton drinks. The Urban Services Department is the law enforcement department, but I am not sure whether such catastrophic incidents can be avoided. Regarding the safety problem of carton drinks manufacturers, apart from the Urban Services Department and the Department of Health which have their jobs to do, I think the Government should appoint a consultant to conduct a study on this matter. I also know that the Vitasoy Company now faces enormous losses as a result of this incident. Nevertheless, the Company has done what it should do. Its follow-up is commendable.
The third point I wish to mention is: as a Member coming from a public housing estate, I think the Council has made two very good resolutions this year. The first one is the delegation of power to the Director of Housing to control hawking activities in housing estates. The second one is requiring the Housing Department to improve the sanitation of public areas in public housing estates and laying charge against the Housing Department for failure to do so. Several months have now passed, and has the Housing Department complied with our requirements? I wonder what results can be achieved after spending so much time on discussions and motion debates. Probably we will later just receive some documents giving us a brief account of the situation. However, I think that since we have delegated that power to the department concerned, some positive measures must be taken. Mr. Chairman, I hope you will continue to follow up on this matter.
Lastly, I wish to express regret over the membership of the Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which has been set up this year. While all other Councils are represented on the Preparatory Committee, no Urban Council Members have been appointed. Therefore, opinions of the Urban Council cannot be reflected directly to the Preparatory Committee. Nevertheless, there will surely be new roads and new opportunities in the future. We should not be disheartened.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman and Members, how time flies! Here is the Annual Debate again. It has been more than a year since I took office as an Urban Councillor. There are many issues that I would like to discuss with you, but under the time constraint, I shall speak on staff discipline only in today's speech.
Recently there was widespread coverage in the press about USD staff being absent from duty without permission. It is necessary and duty bound for me, as Chairman of the Administration Select Committee, to respond directly to these reports in order to prevent recurrence of such incidents which may tarnish the image of the Urban Council.
Statistics reveal that the number of USD staff found guilty of ‘unauthorized absence' in the past three years, viz. 1993, 1994 and 1995 are 39, 40 and 41
Page 317 of 485
£485
Page 317 of 485
1 485
30
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
we (the Urban Services Department) are playing a passive role. Both incidents became the talk of the town and aroused people's concern about the safety standards of carton drinks. The Urban Services Department is the law enforcement department, but I am not sure whether such catastrophic incidents can be avoided. Regarding the safety problem of carton drinks manufacturers, apart from the Urban Services Department and the Department of Health which have their jobs to do, I think the Government should appoint a consultant to conduct a study on this matter. I also know that the Vitasoy Company now faces enormous losses as a result of this incident. Nevertheless, the Company has done what it should do. Its follow-up is commendable.
The third point I wish to mention is: as a Member coming from a public housing estate, I think the Council has made two very good resolutions this year. The first one is the delegation of power to the Director of Housing to control hawking activities in housing estates. The second one is requiring the Housing Department to improve the sanitation of public areas in public housing estates and laying charge against the Housing Department for failure to do so. Several months have now passed, and has the Housing Department complied with our requirements? I wonder what results can be achieved after spending so much time on discussions and motion debates. Probably we will later just receive some documents giving us a brief account of the situation. However, I think that since we have delegated that power to the department concerned, some positive measures must be taken. Mr. Chairman, I hope you will continue to follow up on this matter.
Lastly, I wish to express regret over the membership of the Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which has been set up this year. While all other Councils are represented on the Preparatory Committee, no Urban Council Members have been appointed. Therefore, opinions of the Urban Council cannot be reflected directly to the Preparatory Committee. Nevertheless, there will surely be new roads and new opportunities in the future. We should not be disheartened.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. SUEN KAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman and Members, how time flies! Here is the Annual Debate again. It has been more than a year since I took office as an Urban Councillor. There are many issues that I would like to discuss with you, but under the time constraint, I shall speak on staff discipline only in today's speech.
Recently there was widespread coverage in the press about USD staff being absent from duty without permission. It is necessary and duty bound for me, as Chairman of the Administration Select Committee, to respond directly to these reports in order to prevent recurrence of such incidents which may tarnish the image of the Urban Council.
Statistics reveal that the number of USD staff found guilty of ‘unauthorized absence' in the past three years, viz. 1993, 1994 and 1995 are 39, 40 and 41
Page 317 of 485
£485
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