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mechanism to strengthen effectively our communications and cooperation with the Provisional Regional Council. As soon as the mechanism is accepted by the Provisional Regional Council, it will come into effect. Communications and cooperation between the two Councils is expected to be much closer.
On the avian flu. In face of the recent outbreak of avian flu, the Council and the Urban Services Department worked closely. Anything within our purviews which could be done was carried out satisfactorily, including collecting chicken carcasses, transporting chicken carcasses to landfill sites for disposal, cleaning the Council's markets and stalls, distributing leaflets, advising food premises and market stall owners to pay attention to hygiene and holding hygiene training courses for the trade. In addition, relevant measures were developed to impose more stringent requirements of environmental hygiene on market stalls selling poultry and fresh provision shops. The Council and the Department did their best in assisting in the avian flu case which was coordinated by the Government, and in complementing the Government's efforts. It is believed that the public appreciated the significant contribution the Urban Council had made. In fact the Council is fully experienced in handling issues of public and food hygiene and is capable of assuming overall coordination. There are reports saying that the Government might take over these two functions from the two Municipal Councils but as far as I understand, there are no specific rationale for this. On the contrary, the Government should consider expanding our ambits by placing issues of public and food hygiene under the Urban Council's coordination.
On refuse incinerators. In the avian flu incident, it was an undesirable way to dispose chicken carcasses by burying them. The most appropriate method is incineration. In the past, the Council repeatedly urged the Government to build high-temperature incinerators but nothing came out of it. It is only recently that the Government begins to study the feasibility, saying that the plan to construct a high-temperature incinerator will soon be confirmed, but the timetable proposed indicates that the project will take eight years. In comparison with Macao's history of incinerator construction, such a progress is indeed a shame. To dispose refuse by incinerator is something that could not afford to wait. If Hong Kong had had a large high-temperature incinerator, the avian flu incident would have been more properly handled because disposal of chicken carcasses by incineration is more hygienic and environment-friendly than disposal by burying.
On cleaning Hong Kong. About the cleanliness of streets, we might be under the impression that urban streets are getting dirtier. As the urban area is densely populated, it is inevitable that streets get dirty easily. The Department should implement further measures immediately, including increasing the frequency of washing and sweeping for individual streets, stepping up prosecution, raising fines, promoting its image in the clean campaign. Naturally publicity on education should also be stepped up, but as this takes
Page 541 of 654
Page 541 of 654
Page 541 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
535
mechanism to strengthen effectively our communications and cooperation with the Provisional Regional Council. As soon as the mechanism is accepted by the Provisional Regional Council, it will come into effect. Communications and cooperation between the two Councils is expected to be much closer.
On the avian flu. In face of the recent outbreak of avian flu, the Council and the Urban Services Department worked closely. Anything within our purviews which could be done was carried out satisfactorily, including collecting chicken carcasses, transporting chicken carcasses to landfill sites for disposal, cleaning the Council's markets and stalls, distributing leaflets, advising food premises and market stall owners to pay attention to hygiene and holding hygiene training courses for the trade. In addition, relevant measures were developed to impose more stringent requirements of environmental hygiene on market stalls selling poultry and fresh provision shops. The Council and the Department did their best in assisting in the avian flu case which was coordinated by the Government, and in complementing the Government's efforts. It is believed that the public appreciated the significant contribution the Urban Council had made. In fact the Council is fully experienced in handling issues of public and food hygiene and is capable of assuming overall coordination. There are reports saying that the Government might take over these two functions from the two Municipal Councils but as far as I understand, there are no specific rationale for this. On the contrary, the Government should consider expanding our ambits by placing issues of public and food hygiene under the Urban Council's coordination.
On refuse incinerators. In the avian flu incident, it was an undesirable way to dispose chicken carcasses by burying them. The most appropriate method is incineration. In the past, the Council repeatedly urged the Government to build high-temperature incinerators but nothing came out of it. It is only recently that the Government begins to study the feasibility, saying that the plan to construct a high-temperature incinerator will soon be confirined, but the timetable proposed indicates that the project will take eight years. In comparison with Macao's history of incinerator construction, such a progress is indeed a shame. To dispose refuse by incinerator is something that could not afford to wait. If Hong Kong had had a large high-temperature incinerator, the avian flu incident would have been more properly handled because disposal of chicken carcasses by incineration is more hygienic and environment-friendly than disposal by burying.
On cleaning Hong Kong. About the cleanliness of streets, we might be under the impression that urban streets are getting dirtier. As the urban area is densely populated, it is inevitable that streets get dirty easily. The Department should implement further measures immediately, including increasing the frequency of washing and sweeping for individual streets, stepping up prosecution, raising fines, promoting its image in the clean campaign. Naturally publicity on education should also be stepped up, but as this takes
Page 541 of 654
Page 541 of 654
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