1998 — Page 117

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 117 of 606

PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

139

body but it is now recommended that they be taken over and managed by the Central Government clandestinely without being subject to any public supervision other than that of an appointed advisory committee. If this is not retrogression in democratization, then I don't know what it is. As a Member of the Provisional Urban Council, you should be well aware that this is no less than retrogression in democratization. I therefore do not agree with what you said. Retrieval of the Council's right of supervision is a major retrogression in democratization. To have the management of hygienic matters reverted to the Central Government is not a solution to the problem at all. What should be adone is to place the management of food safety and environmental hygiene, which has been scattered over various departments, under the umbrella of the future merged municipal services department as one centralized service. At present, one single duty is being assumed by various departments, with one department being responsible for the examination of chickens, one for liaison with the mainland on matters concerning health maintenance for chickens, one for the killing of chickens and one for the burial of chickens. All these functions should be placed under one single department (whatever its name) in the form of one centralized service and be monitored by one single elected representative body (which may be called the Urban Council or by any other name). The structure should be one council, one department and three divisions.

I now intend to move once and for all the establishment of the Council's position, under which recommendations will be made and a letter of stance, prepared. I would now proceed to move that my motion be voted on. The Council must establish a stance and there must be a consensus. If our views are still odds and ends, as Mr. Li Wah-ming said, how are our representatives in the Legislative Council going to present them to the Legislative Council on our behalf? Don't tell me that they will have to submit a dozen options. I therefore propose the idea of One Council and One Department. The most important point is that food safety and environmental hygiene be placed centrally under the supervision of the future merged municipal services department.

I absolutely disagree with the argument of a certain high-ranking official that the merge of the two departments would only result in a more cumbersome structure. We must not forget that according to the principles of management, merge would result in a simpler senior management with a pyramidal structure rather than one in which a few staff-members are being supervised by a dozen officers of the directorate grade. I have always objected to the management structure in which there are more supervisors than workers. This is a big blunder according to the principles of management. After the two departments are merged, the size of the senior management will definitely be trimmed down. There will no longer be two directors. Hence the size of staffing will definitely be streamlined. The existing staffing of the two municipal councils, which stand at 27 000 now, will definitely be reduced. I

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Page 117 of 606 Page 117 of 606 PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL 139 body but it is now recommended that they be taken over and managed by the Central Government clandestinely without being subject to any public supervision other than that of an appointed advisory committee. If this is not retrogression in democratization, then I don't know what it is. As a Member of the Provisional Urban Council, you should be well aware that this is no less than retrogression in democratization. I therefore do not agree with what you said. Retrieval of the Council's right of supervision is a major retrogression in democratization. To have the management of hygienic matters reverted to the Central Government is not a solution to the problem at all. What should be adone is to place the management of food safety and environmental hygiene, which has been scattered over various departments, under the umbrella of the future merged municipal services department as one centralized service. At present, one single duty is being assumed by various departments, with one department being responsible for the examination of chickens, one for liaison with the mainland on matters concerning health maintenance for chickens, one for the killing of chickens and one for the burial of chickens. All these functions should be placed under one single department (whatever its name) in the form of one centralized service and be monitored by one single elected representative body (which may be called the Urban Council or by any other name). The structure should be one council, one department and three divisions. I now intend to move once and for all the establishment of the Council's position, under which recommendations will be made and a letter of stance, prepared. I would now proceed to move that my motion be voted on. The Council must establish a stance and there must be a consensus. If our views are still odds and ends, as Mr. Li Wah-ming said, how are our representatives in the Legislative Council going to present them to the Legislative Council on our behalf? Don't tell me that they will have to submit a dozen options. I therefore propose the idea of One Council and One Department. The most important point is that food safety and environmental hygiene be placed centrally under the supervision of the future merged municipal services department. I absolutely disagree with the argument of a certain high-ranking official that the merge of the two departments would only result in a more cumbersome structure. We must not forget that according to the principles of management, merge would result in a simpler senior management with a pyramidal structure rather than one in which a few staff-members are being supervised by a dozen officers of the directorate grade. I have always objected to the management structure in which there are more supervisors than workers. This is a big blunder according to the principles of management. After the two departments are merged, the size of the senior management will definitely be trimmed down. There will no longer be two directors. Hence the size of staffing will definitely be streamlined. The existing staffing of the two municipal councils, which stand at 27 000 now, will definitely be reduced. I Page 117 of 606 Page 117 of 606

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Page 117 of 606 Page 117 of 606 PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL 139 boody but it is now recommended that they be taken over and managed by the Central Government clandestinely without being subject to any public supervision other than that of an appointed advisory committee. If this is not retrogression in democratization, then I don't know what it is. As a Member of the Provisional Urban Council, you should be well aware that this is no less than retrogression in democratization. I therefore do not agree with what you said. Retrieval of the Council's right of supervision is a major retrogression in democratization. To have the management of hygienic matters reverted to the Central Government is not a solution to the problem at all. What should be adone is to place the management of food safety and environmental hygiene, which has been scattered over various departments, under the umbrella of the ffuture merged municipal services department as one centralized service. At present, one single duty is being assumed by various departments, with one department being responsible for the examination of chickens, one for liaison 'with the mainland on matters concerning health maintenance for chickens, one for the killing of chickens and one for the burial of chickens. All these functions should be placed under one single department (whatever its name) in the form of one centralized service and be monitored by one single elected representative body (which may be called the Urban Council or by any other name). The structure should be one council, one department and three divisions. I now intend to move once and for all the establishment of the Council's position, under which recommendations will be made and a letter of stance, prepared. I would now proceed to move that my motion be voted on. The Council must establish a stance and there must be a consensus. If our views are still odds and ends, as Mr. Li Wah-ming said, how are our representatives in the Legislative Council going to present them to the Legislative Council on our behalf? Don't tell me that they will have to submit a dozen options. I therefore propose the idea of One Council and One Department. The most important point is that food safety and environmental hygiene be placed centrally under the supervision of the future merged municipal services department. I absolutely disagree with the argument of a certain high-ranking official that the merge of the two departments would only result in a more cumbersome structure. We must not forget that according to the principles of management, merge would result in a simpler senior management with a pyramidal structure rather than one in which a few staff-members are being supervised by a dozen officers of the directorate grade. I have always objected to the management structure in which there are more supervisors than workers. This is a big blunder according to the principles of management. After the two departments are merged, the size of the senior management will definitely be trimmed down. There will no longer be two directors. Hence the size of staffing will definitely be streamlined. The existing staffing of the two municipal councils, which stand at 27 000 now, will definitely be reduced. I Page 117 of 606 Page 117 of 606

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Page 117 of 606

PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

139

boody but it is now recommended that they be taken over and managed by the Central Government clandestinely without being subject to any public supervision other than that of an appointed advisory committee. If this is not retrogression in democratization, then I don't know what it is. As a Member of the Provisional Urban Council, you should be well aware that this is no less than retrogression in democratization. I therefore do not agree with what you said. Retrieval of the Council's right of supervision is a major retrogression in democratization. To have the management of hygienic matters reverted to the Central Government is not a solution to the problem at all. What should be adone is to place the management of food safety and environmental hygiene, which has been scattered over various departments, under the umbrella of the ffuture merged municipal services department as one centralized service. At present, one single duty is being assumed by various departments, with one department being responsible for the examination of chickens, one for liaison 'with the mainland on matters concerning health maintenance for chickens, one for the killing of chickens and one for the burial of chickens. All these functions should be placed under one single department (whatever its name) in the form of one centralized service and be monitored by one single elected representative body (which may be called the Urban Council or by any other name). The structure should be one council, one department and three divisions.

1998 — Page 117

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