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not by the Urban Council, will the Central Government be responsible for monitoring the situation? It would be better than the present arrangement in which the Urban Council provides the fund but without satisfactory monitoring. Members all know that the Urban Council only has 2 representatives and thus have no final say in the Hygiene Services Committee no matter how the votes are conducted. So I would like to ask whether we can review the funding arrangement. If the services are funded by the Urban Council, then the Urban Council should take up the monitoring role and should have the final say. If not and it is considered that central monitoring is better, then the services should be funded by the Central Government and not by the Urban Council. I hope these 2 options will be considered in the review and their advantages and disadvantages will be listed out for detailed discussions by the Members.
Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, we can discuss these suggestions in detail. However, to my understanding, the allocation of funds is not divided into district allocation or central allocation. In fact, the jobs funded by us and taken up by the Hygiene Services Committee are jobs at the central level, they are territory-wide services. Therefore we cannot say that they are district services just because they are funded by the Urban Council. Services at the district level are already taken up by the Urban Council. For instance, the work-nature of the Council's Health Education Division is district-oriented. As to services at the central level, it is not suitable for them to be taken up by the 2 Councils or the 2 Municipal Services Departments. That is why the Central Government had to handover the duties to a third party, i.e. the Department of Health.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I think a paper should be prepared for discussion on this issue in future in order that we can follow up on the other relevant problems. Right now, Mr. CHAN does not have sufficient factual information on hand to answer Members' questions. As to whether we can discuss the issue in future, I think we can discuss anything in future.
MR. KAM NAI-WAI (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I request Mr. Chan to refer my suggestions to the Public Health Select Committee for discussion. Of course, I don't expect a decision to be made right now.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—Can this issue be referred to the Public Health Select Committee for discussion?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):—Sure. Members can have more details on this when it is discussed at the Public Health Select Committee.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—The answer is 'yes'.
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Page 461 of 485
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not by the Urban Council, will the Central Government be responsible for monitoring the situation? It would be better than the present arrangement in which the Urban Council provides the fund but without satisfactory monitoring. Members all know that the Urban Council only has 2 representatives and thus have no final say in the Hygiene Services Committee no matter how the votes are conducted. So I would like to ask whether we can review the funding arrangement. If the services are funded by the Urban Council, then the Urban Council should take up the monitoring role and should have them final say. If not and it is considered that central monitoring is better, then the services should be funded by the Central Government and not by the Urban Council. I hope these 2 options will be considered in the review and their advantages and disadvantages will be listed out for detailed discussions by the Members.
Mr. Joseph Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, we can discuss these suggestions in detail. However, to my understanding, the allocation of funds is not divided into district allocation or central allocation. In fact, the jobs funded by us and taken up by the Hygiene Services Committee are jobs at the central level, they are territory-wide services. Therefore we cannot say that they are district services just because they are funded by the Urban Council. Services at the district level are already taken up by the Urban Council. For instance, the work-nature of the Council's Health Education Division is district-oriented. As to services at the central level, it is not suitable for them to be taken up by the 2 Councils or the 2 Municipal Services Departments. That is why the Central Government had to handover the duties to a third party, i.e. the Department of Health.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I think a paper should be prepared for discussion on this issue in future in order that we can follow up on the other relevant problems. Right now, Mr. CHAN does not have sufficient factual information on hand to answer Members' questions. As to whether we can discuss the issue in future, I think we can discuss anything in future.
MR. KAM NAI-WAI (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I request Mr. Chan to refer my suggestions to the Public Health Select Committee for discussion. Of course, I don't expect a decision to be made right now.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Can this issue be referred to the Public Health Select Committee for discussion?
MR. JOSEPH CHan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):--Sure. Members can have more details on this when it is discussed at the Public Health Select Committee.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-The answer is 'yes'.
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