Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ16: Community hygiene measures

Following is a question by the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (May 27):

Question:

Under the threat of human swine influenza, the Government has allocated a total of $10 million to the 18 District Councils to enhance the community cleansing campaign. Also, in support of the Clean Hong Kong Day, several senior government officials went to various districts to promote the environmental hygiene message. Yet, there are comments that such actions were just superficial acts. On the other hand, after the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2003, the Government installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at various hygiene blackspots to monitor the hygiene conditions of districts, but those cameras have been removed one after another since 2007. Early last year, the Government also stopped the release of Community Cleanliness Index (CCI), which was introduced in 2004 to assess on a regular basis the cleanliness level of various districts in Hong Kong, and quite a number of hygiene blackspots relapsed. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the justifications for terminating the CCTV surveillance scheme and stopping the release of CCI; whether the authorities will launch the relevant schemes again given that the hygiene conditions of some places are still poor at present;

(b) whether the authorities will set priority in dealing with hygiene blackspots according to how poor their conditions are and formulate a sustainable action plan for the cleansing campaign; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(c) whether the authorities will consider cleaning regularly those rear lanes and streets with poor hygiene conditions but are privately owned; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(d) whether it will launch activities, such as territory-wide campaigns for reporting hygiene blackspots, campaigns for reporting "Lap Sap Chung" in public housing estates, cleansing competitions in housing estates and a monthly home cleansing day for Hong Kong, as sustainable civic education to raise the public concern about hygiene conditions?

Reply:

President,

(a) Over the past few years, Government departments have put in place a range of measures to promote personal, home and community hygiene. Most of these measures have been thoroughly implemented and incorporated into the routine of the departments concerned. The Administration also found after a review on the Community Cleanliness Index Project in early 2008 that it had achieved its intended objective of arousing community awareness of environmental hygiene during its implementation. Meanwhile, the departments concerned will continue to monitor and follow-up the hygiene problems in premises under their purview. Besides, the surveillance by closed-circuit television (CCTV) at hygiene blackspots mainly aimed at facilitating the departments concerned to collect information on the patterns of environmental hygiene offences. With the installation of the CCTV, the enforcement departments have already obtained the necessary information, such as timing and patterns of these offences, for planning of cleansing operations and enforcement actions. To continue implementing such measure is thus no longer necessary.

(b) In consultation with the District Councils (DCs) and District Offices (DOs), the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), taking into account the hygiene conditions of various districts, has identified over a hundred priority hygiene blackspots. Since May 5, 2009, the respective Environmental Health District Offices have launched extensive cleansing operations and the first round clean-ups have mostly been done. During the operations, the FEHD, apart from stepping up cleansing work, will also take prosecution actions against any irregularities. In addition, if damages of pavements, leakage of pipelines, blockage of pipelines or unauthorised structures are found, they will be referred to the relevant government departments such as the Highways Department, Buildings Department and Drainage Services Department for follow-up actions.

The FEHD will, in collaboration with the DCs and other government departments concerned, review the list of blackspots and action strategies on a regular basis, in order to eradicate these hygiene blackspots.

(c) For private properties and private lots, owners concerned have the responsibility to maintain the cleanliness of their premises. At present, the FEHD provides routine street sweeping service for private streets or rear lanes open to public access.

(d) Apart from the efforts of the Government, the support and participation of the community is vital to maintaining environmental hygiene. In this connection, the Government organised a Clean Hong Kong Day on May 10, 2009. A series of activities will be carried out afterwards by various government departments as continuous efforts in cleansing and hygiene promotion. For instance, the FEHD will, in collaboration with the DCs and other government departments concerned, review the list of blackspots and action strategies on a regular basis, in order to eradicate hygiene blackspots. At district level, DOs will arrange community groups, volunteers and contractors to carry out cleansing work in some buildings, especially those without owners' corporations or owners' associations. With the consent of owners, common areas such as rear staircases, corridors and lift lobbies of the buildings will be cleansed. This one-off cleansing operation serves as a demonstration for owners of the buildings. Moreover, to cater for the needs of elderly singletons, DOs will mobilise volunteers to visit elderly singletons and help clean their homes so as to convey to them the message of hygiene. DOs will also step up publicity through posters, banners and talks, and continue to work closely with the DCs.


Ends/Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Issued at HKT 12:14

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