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bacteria spread to the abattoir will be reduced to the minimum. Based on this information, the Democratic Party consider that we need to have regard to public health and environmental pollution. Moreover, the Legislative Council should be urged as soon as possible to approve funding for the construction of Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse. Yesterday, Mr. K. C. KWONG, Secretary for the Treasury, promised that the Government would submit the funding request to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council for examination before mid-July.
As regards the second part of the motion about the chronic deficit problem of the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir, I am not going to discuss it in detail because I clearly expressed my views at the meeting held in last December. I shall not state my opinion again lest it will be regarded as repeating myself. Since it will take a few years to construct a new abattoir for replacing the one at Cheung Sha Wan, I hope that the USD will earnestly implement the motion that I proposed in last December to enhance the operational efficiency and reduce the deficit of the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir. It will be unfair to taxpayers if the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir continues to suffer losses.
The third part of the motion is related to the pollution problems of the Kennedy Town Abattoir. I really agree to this. We have been following up the matter closely. In the Session before last one, under the strong demand of Mr. CHOW Wai-keong, Urban Councillor and member of the Hong Kong Affairs Society, and Mr. Wong Shui-lai, member of the United Democrats of Hong Kong, and with the support of other Councillors, the USD had earnestly adopted a series of measures to alleviate the pollution problems of the Kennedy Town Abattoir. These included the installation of a water-curtain deodorising system, the addition of a backup burner to the large-sized livestock incinerator for increasing the burning temperature, thus facilitating the completeness of burning and curbing the quantity of black smoke. Other measures included the avoidance of using small-sized livestock incinerators, the construction of a large sewage screening pool, as well as the installation of noise barriers along the passage way for transport of pigs. The present situation is an improvement on the past. Yet, we consider that there are still rooms for improvement. Not being complacent with the present situation, we hope to make further improvements in tackling the environmental pollution of the Kennedy Town Abattoir. The best way is, as I mentioned at the District Board meeting, to close the Abattoir as soon as possible.
Maybe Mr. WONG Kwok-hing is not too clear about the situation in Western District. So, there is something missing in his motion. He thought that his motion included the amendment I proposed as regards tackling the foul smell emitted by wagons loaded with livestock. In fact, the latter is not necessarily the USD's duty. Other government departments may join in to tackle the pollution problems. Pollution caused by wagons loaded with livestock is far more extensive than by an abattoir itself because an abattoir probably pollutes the vicinity only but the foul smell emitted by wagons loaded with livestock
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bacteria spread to the abattoir will be reduced to the minimum. Based on this information, the Democratic Party consider that we need to have regard to public health and environmental pollution. Moreover, the Legislative Council should be urged as soon as possible to approve funding for the construction of Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse. Yesterday, Mr. K. C. KWONG, Secretary for the Treasury, promised that the Government would submit the funding request to the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council for examination before mid-July.
As regards the second part of the motion about the chronic deficit problem of the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir, I am not going to discuss it in detail because I clearly expressed my views at the meeting held in last December. I shall not state my opinion again lest it will be regarded as repeating myself. Since it will take a few years to construct a new abattoir for replacing the one at Cheung Sha Wan, I hope that the USD will earnestly implement the motion that I proposed in last December to enhance the operational efficiency and reduce the deficit of the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir. It will be unfair to taxpayers if the Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir continues to suffer losses.
The third part of the motion is related to the pollution problems of the Kennedy Town Abattoir. I really agree to this. We have been following up the matter closely. In the Session before last one, under the strong demand of Mr. CHOW Wai-keong, Urban Councillor and member of the Hong Kong Affairs Society, and Mr. Wong Shui-lai, member of the United Democrats of Hong Kong, and with the support of other Councillors, the USD had earnestly adopted a series of measures to alleviate the pollution problems of the Kennedy Town Abattoir. These included the installation of a water-curtain deodorising system, the addition of a backup burner to the large-sized livestock incinerator for increasing the burning temperature, thus facilitating the completeness of burning and curbing the quantity of black smoke. Other measures included the avoidance of using small-sized livestock incinerators, the construction of a large sewage screening pool, as well as the installation of noise barriers along the passage way for transport of pigs. The present situation is an improvement on the past. Yet, we consider that there are still rooms for improvement. Not being complacent with the present situation, we hope to make further improvements in tackling the environmental pollution of the Kennedy Town Abattoir. The best way is, as I mentioned at the District Board meeting, to close the Abattoir as soon as possible.
Maybe Mr. WONG Kwok-hing is not too clear about the situation in Western District. So, there is something missing in his motion. He thought that his motion included the amendment I proposed as regards tackling the foul smell emitted by wagons loaded with livestock. In fact, the latter is not necessarily the USD's duty. Other government departments may join in to tackle the pollution problems. Pollution caused by wagons loaded with livestock is far more extensive than by an abattoir itself because an abattoir probably pollutes the vicinity only but the foul smell emitted by wagons loaded
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Page 126 of 498
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