1998 — Page 150

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 150 of 606

PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

VIL

municipal councils, but it is not, like the two municipal services departments, accountable to the two municipal councils. The two councils can only raise questions or move motion debates to monitor the work of the Hygiene Division, and further still, they have to match what the Department of Health presents in the field of public health.

Point four. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for control over the import of live birds, animals and fish, whereas the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is accountable to the policy bureau of Economic Services Bureau. The two municipal councils can only supervise and monitor its work through questions or motion debates. Other government departments involved in food safety, environmental hygiene and licensing matters such as the Environmental Protection Department, Buildings Department, Water Supplies Department, Fire Services Department, Police Force, Home Affairs Department and others are directly accountable to the Chief Secretary or relevant policy bureau secretaries. From this, we can see that the top level of Central Government is leading all work connected with municipal services, hygiene and food safety.

Point five. Government has in recent years set up many inter-departmental committees and working groups to tackle cholera and bird flu matters. These groups are either chaired by policy bureau secretaries/department heads or with the secretaries/department heads as their convenors. To name a few, there are the inter-departmental committee on the prevention and control of cholera, inter-departmental working group on control over the use of sea water to culture of sea delicacies and the inter-departmental committee and various working groups to tackle bird flu. Government top level has strengthened coordination to tackle the problem of division of power among government departments. By centralising power, Government is realising the policy of executive-led administration. As no one from the two municipal councils is represented on such committees and working groups and the councils are not informed of the situations, we can only discuss matters on the basis of documents presented by the inter-departmental committees and working groups. The councils make use of discussions as means of supervision and monitoring as well as chances to reflect public opinion.

From the above five points, it is clear that under our existing set-up, policy and accountability over food safety and environmental hygiene are already under the control of government departments. The suggestion to remove the food safety and environmental hygiene functions from the two municipal councils as put in the Consultation Document on Review of District Organisations in fact just recalls the limited power of the councils in monitoring, supervising, questioning, reflecting public opinion by way of motion debates and urging Government to formulate corresponding food safety and environmental hygiene policies. As the majority of our provisional municipal Councillors are elected in the one man one vote mechanism, the

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Page 150 of 606 Page 150 of 606 PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL VIL municipal councils, but it is not, like the two municipal services departments, accountable to the two municipal councils. The two councils can only raise questions or move motion debates to monitor the work of the Hygiene Division, and further still, they have to match what the Department of Health presents in the field of public health. Point four. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for control over the import of live birds, animals and fish, whereas the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is accountable to the policy bureau of Economic Services Bureau. The two municipal councils can only supervise and monitor its work through questions or motion debates. Other government departments involved in food safety, environmental hygiene and licensing matters such as the Environmental Protection Department, Buildings Department, Water Supplies Department, Fire Services Department, Police Force, Home Affairs Department and others are directly accountable to the Chief Secretary or relevant policy bureau secretaries. From this, we can see that the top level of Central Government is leading all work connected with municipal services, hygiene and food safety. Point five. Government has in recent years set up many inter-departmental committees and working groups to tackle cholera and bird flu matters. These groups are either chaired by policy bureau secretaries/department heads or with the secretaries/department heads as their convenors. To name a few, there are the inter-departmental committee on the prevention and control of cholera, inter-departmental working group on control over the use of sea water to culture of sea delicacies and the inter-departmental committee and various working groups to tackle bird flu. Government top level has strengthened coordination to tackle the problem of division of power among government departments. By centralising power, Government is realising the policy of executive-led administration. As no one from the two municipal councils is represented on such committees and working groups and the councils are not informed of the situations, we can only discuss matters on the basis of documents presented by the inter-departmental committees and working groups. The councils make use of discussions as means of supervision and monitoring as well as chances to reflect public opinion. From the above five points, it is clear that under our existing set-up, policy and accountability over food safety and environmental hygiene are already under the control of government departments. The suggestion to remove the food safety and environmental hygiene functions from the two municipal councils as put in the Consultation Document on Review of District Organisations in fact just recalls the limited power of the councils in monitoring, supervising, questioning, reflecting public opinion by way of motion debates and urging Government to formulate corresponding food safety and environmental hygiene policies. As the majority of our provisional municipal Councillors are elected in the one man one vote mechanism, the Page 150 of 606 Page 150 Page 151

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Page 150 of 606 Page 150 of 606 PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL VIL municipal councils, but it is not, like the two municipal services departments, accountable to the two municipal councils. The two councils can only raise questions or move motion debates to monitor the work of the Hygiene Division, and further still, they have to match what the Department of Health presents in the field of public health. Point four. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for control over the import of live birds, animals and fish, whereas the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is accountable to the policy bureau of Economic Services Bureau. The two municipal councils can only supervise and monitor its work through questions or motion debates. Other government departments involved in food safety, environmental hygiene and licensing matters such as the Environmental Protection Department, Buildings Department, Water Supplies Department. Fire Services Department, Police Force. Home Affairs Department and others are directly accountable to the Chief Secretary or relevant policy bureau secretaries. From this, we can see that the top level of Central Government is leading all work connected with municipal services, hygiene and food safety. Point five. Government has in recent years set up many inter-departmental committees and working groups to tackle cholera and bird flu matters. These groups are either chaired by policy bureau secretaries/department heads or with the secretaries/department heads as their convenors. To name a few, there are the inter-departmental committee on the prevention and control of cholera, iinter-departmental working group on control over the use of sea water to culture of sea delicacies and the inter-departmental committee and various working groups to tackle bird flu. Government top level has strengthened ccoordination to tackle the problem of division of power among government departments. By centralising power, Government is realising the policy of sexecutive-led administration. As no one from the two municipal councils is represented on such committees and working groups and the councils are not iinformed of the situations, we can only discuss matters on the basis of documents presented by the inter-departmental committees and working groups. The councils make use of discussions as means of supervision and monitoring as well as chances to reflect public opinion. From the above five points, it is clear that under our existing set-up, policy and accountability over food safety and environmental hygiene are already tunder the control of government departments. The suggestion to remove the ffood safety and environmental hygiene functions from the two municipal councils as put in the Consultation Document on Review of District Organisations in fact just recalls the limited power of the councils in monitoring, supervising, questioning, reflecting public opinion by way of motion debates and urging Government to formulate corresponding food safety and environmental hygiene policies. As the majority of our provisional municipal Councillors are clected in the one man one vole mechanism, the Page 150 of 606 Page 150Page 151

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Page 150 of 606

PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL

VIL

Point four. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for control over the import of live birds, animals and fish, whereas the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is accountable to the policy bureau of Economic Services Bureau. The two municipal councils can only supervise and monitor its work through questions or motion debates. Other government departments involved in food safety, environmental hygiene and licensing matters such as the Environmental Protection Department, Buildings Department, Water Supplies Department. Fire Services Department, Police Force. Home Affairs Department and others are directly accountable to the Chief Secretary or relevant policy bureau secretaries. From this, we can see that the top level of Central Government is leading all work connected with municipal services, hygiene and food safety.

Point five. Government has in recent years set up many inter-departmental committees and working groups to tackle cholera and bird flu matters. These groups are either chaired by policy bureau secretaries/department heads or with the secretaries/department heads as their convenors. To name a few, there are the inter-departmental committee on the prevention and control of cholera, iinter-departmental working group on control over the use of sea water to culture of sea delicacies and the inter-departmental committee and various working groups to tackle bird flu. Government top level has strengthened ccoordination to tackle the problem of division of power among government departments. By centralising power, Government is realising the policy of sexecutive-led administration. As no one from the two municipal councils is represented on such committees and working groups and the councils are not iinformed of the situations, we can only discuss matters on the basis of documents presented by the inter-departmental committees and working groups. The councils make use of discussions as means of supervision and monitoring as well as chances to reflect public opinion.

From the above five points, it is clear that under our existing set-up, policy and accountability over food safety and environmental hygiene are already tunder the control of government departments. The suggestion to remove the ffood safety and environmental hygiene functions from the two municipal councils as put in the Consultation Document on Review of District Organisations in fact just recalls the limited power of the councils in monitoring, supervising, questioning, reflecting public opinion by way of motion debates and urging Government to formulate corresponding food safety and environmental hygiene policies. As the majority of our provisional municipal Councillors are clected in the one man one vole mechanism, the

1998 — Page 150

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