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HEALTH
and house refuse is promptly removed and that environmental cleanliness is main- tained.
The Food Section continues to monitor imported foods, such as meat, poultry, frozen confections and milk, to ensure that satisfactory standards of health and quality are maintained. Local food and animal products intended for export also are inspected and certificates issued where necessary. Food sampling for chemical analysis and microbiological tests are undertaken to protect public health.
Food laws are updated to keep abreast of new developments in the field of food technology. Recommendations and standards set by the World Health Organisation and countries that lead in this field are considered for local application to improve general standards of quality and control. During the past year, selected food inspec- tors attended a number of overseas courses to gain first-hand knowledge of the latest developments in food science and food control.
Rodents and major insect pests were controlled by regular systematic inspections and disinfestations, including the prevention of malarial mosquito breeding with source reduction methods and weekly larviciding on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in some populous areas in the New Territories. In the urban areas, prosecutions were instituted against people who allowed mosquito breeding on premises under their control. The Pest Control Advisory Unit of the Urban Services Department provided the necessary technical advice.
Markets
Construction of the Bowrington Road Market began in July. This new market, costing an estimated $7.5 million, will replace the existing temporary market under the Canal Road flyover. The new structure will incorporate an innovation in market design: a cooked food centre, accessible by a passenger lift, is to be provided on the roof of one of the two two-storey market buildings, which will be connected by a pair of pedestrian footbridges over Wan Chai Road. The northern block of the market proper will be provided with an escalator from the ground to the first floor to enable customers to circulate more easily, and the southern block will be built on a semi-basement design to increase the viability of market stalls.
To ensure maximum use of scarce land resources in the urban areas, the Urban Council accepted the policy that as many additional Urban Council facilities as practicable be provided in future market buildings, including a restaurant. The first of the market buildings to incorporate a restaurant will be the Sham Shui Po Market, now under active planning.
Hawkers
Hawking remained a profitable activity during the year and there was no appreciable decrease in the number of street traders. Some improvement in environmental control over Hawker Permitted Areas and other concentrations of hawkers was achieved through enforcement action taken by general duties teams and the Hawker Control Force.
Towards the end of the year, consideration was being given to increasing the number of general duties teams to help bring about a more permanent improvement in the hawker situation.