HEALTH
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of unlicensed hawkers. In 1986, there were about 22 000 licensed hawkers in the urban areas, a decline of 1 500 compared with 1985. This reduction was mainly due to the continuous efforts of the Urban Council to remove on-street hawkers into newly completed markets and off-street hawker bazaars. The number of unlicensed hawkers tends to fluctuate from year to year, and the estimated figure in 1986 was 16 000. The General Duties Teams of the Urban Services Department are responsible for carrying out the Urban Council's policies for management and control of both licensed and unlicensed hawkers in the urban areas.
A Working Party to Review Hawker and Related Policies, set up by the Urban Council, produced a consultative document in December 1985. After lengthy consultations with district boards, government departments, hawker associations and other interested or- ganisations, the working party prepared a final report for presentation to the Urban Council to consider implementation of its recommendations.
The management and control of hawkers in the Regional Council area are the responsibility of the Regional Services Department. In 1986, there were 3 815 licensed hawkers in the Regional Council area, a drop of 861 compared with 1985. The number of unlicensed hawkers was estimated to be 1 200.
Through the deployment of General Duties Teams, which have an establishment of 962, the Regional Services Department maintains control over the hawker situation. While illegal hawking activities are increasing with the urbanisation of the Regional Council area, the number of licensed hawkers is gradually declining as more and more of them are resited into new markets to become market stall lessees.
Abattoirs
The two government abattoirs - in Kennedy Town on Hong Kong Island and in Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon - continued to supply the bulk of the population with fresh meat. During the year, 2 469 000 pigs, 129 000 head of cattle and 12 000 goats were slaughtered in these abattoirs.
Slaughtering services in the Regional Council area are provided by three licensed private slaughterhouses in Kwai Chung, Yuen Long and Tai Po districts. They handled a total of 1 183 684 pigs, 54 975 head of cattle and 3 668 goats during the year. The slaughterhouse at Kwai Chung, which can slaughter up to 3 000 pigs a day, also helps to meet the demand from Kowloon. In the long term, a site at Sheung Shui has been reserved for the construction of a private slaughterhouse with a minimum throughput capacity of 2 000 pigs and 200 cattle and a small slaughterhouse is being planned for Cheung Chau to cater for the needs of the island.
All animals slaughtered in these abattoirs were inspected by qualified health inspectors of the Urban Services Department and the Regional Services Department.
Cemeteries and Crematoria
It is the government's policy to encourage cremation rather than burial for the disposal of the dead. During the year, over 60 per cent of the dead were cremated. Human remains buried in public cemeteries are subject to exhumation after six years. The exhumed remains are then either cremated or removed to an urn cemetery.
The Urban Council operates two funeral depots, one on Hong Kong Island and one in Kowloon, which provide free services for the disposal of the dead. In the urban areas there are five public cemeteries, two public crematoria and 18 private cemeteries. There are two war cemeteries under the management of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.