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the Housing Authority to take this up. We have the statutory authority and sufficient resources to do so. I hope Members will support my original motion.
MR. JOSEPH LAI CHI-KEONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I second the motion moved by Mr. LAI Hok-lim.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): The motion has been moved by Mr. LAI Hok-lim and seconded by Mr. Joseph LAI Chi-keong. I have received an amendment to the motion from Mr. Christopher CHUNG Shu-kun in accordance with Standing Orders 21(12A). Will Mr. CHUNG move his amendment?
MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN moved an amendment under Standing Orders 21(12A):
'Since there are still rooms for improvement on the cleanliness and environmental hygiene of public housing estates, RESOLVED that the Council requests the Housing Authority, on a quarterly basis, to assess the cleanliness and hygiene condition of the public housing estates under its jurisdiction and publicize the assessment to the public, in order to effectively monitor and enhance the cleanliness and hygiene condition of such estates.
HE SAID (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I support the purpose of the original motion, but I have great reservations for the approach.
The Housing Department, as a government department and the executive arm of the Housing Authority, does not have a subordinate relationship with the Urban Council. We cannot set down standards for others and tell them what to do. It is the same way with the Housing Authority. It cannot set standards to assess which Urban Councillors are hard-working and which ones not. No, that cannot be done because the two do not have a subordinate relationship. Only members of the public and elected Councillors can take up the role of monitoring.
The mover of the original motion said just now that the motion was a positive one, but I find it negative. If we have to wait three months, let others assess and announce the results before we act on our own, I call it negative. Imagine what is to become of rubbish piled up for three months.
In fact, it could be that the original mover did not have sufficient information so that he thought the Urban Services Department never prosecuted a contractor of the Housing Department. I had a discussion with the representative from Sham Shui Po just now and learnt that prosecution was taken out by the Department in Sham Shui Po. If Members can put in more time to monitor the situation in respective areas, the situation will improve without resorting to prosecutions. As an elected Member, I can tell from my experience that a little time a week going around in my district results in the identifying of problems. Problems reported to the Housing Department
Page 66 of 654
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the Housing Authority to take this up. We have the statutory authority and sufficient resources to do so. I hope Members will support my original motion.
MR. JOSEPH LAI CHI-KEONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I second the motion moved by Mr. LAI Hok-lim.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-The motion has been moved by Mr. Lal Hok-lim. and seconded by Mr. Joseph LA1 Chi-keong. I have received an amendment to the motion from Mr. Christopher CHUNG Shu-kun in accordance with Standing Orders 21(12A). Will Mr. CHUNG move his amendment?
MR. CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN moved an amendment under Standing Orders 21(12A):-
'Since there are still rooms for improvement on the cleanliness and environmental hygiene of public housing estates, RESOLVED that the Council requests the Housing Authority, on a quarterly basis, to assess the cleanliness and hygiene condition of the public housing estates under its jurisdiction and publicize the assessment to the public, in order to effectively monitor and enhance the cleanliness and hygiene condition of such estates.
HE SAID (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I support the purpose of the original motion, but I have great reservations for the approach.
The Housing Department, as a government department and the executive arm of the Housing Authority, does not have a subordinate relationship with the Urban Council. We cannot set down standards for others and tell them what to do. It is the same way with the Housing Authority. It cannot set standards to assess which Urban Councillors are hard-working and which ones not. No, that cannot be done because the two do not have a subordinate relationship. Only members of the public and elected Councillors can take up the role of monitoring.
The mover of the original motion said just now that the motion was a positive one, but I find it negative. If we have to wait three months, let others assess and announce the results before we act on our own, I call it negative. Imagine what is to become of rubbish piled up for three months.
In fact, it could be that the original mover did not have sufficient information so that he thought the Urban Services Department never prosecuted a contractor of the Housing Department. I had a discussion with the representative from Sham Shui Po just now and learnt that procecution was taken out by the Department in Sham Shui Po. If Members can put in more time to monitor the situation in respective areas, the situation wit improve without resorting to prosecutions. As an elected Member, I can tel from my experience that a little time a week going around in my district resulti in the identifying of problems. Problems reported to the Housing Department
age 66 of 654
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