HEALTH
Through constant vigilance and action, the RSD's 87 Hawker Control Teams reduced the number of illegal hawkers in the Provisional Regional Council area to 1 045 by the end of the year. About 1 388 hawkers held valid licences during the year to operate either fixed pitches or on an itinerant basis. The Provisional Regional Council has ceased issuing hawker licences except for purpose-built cooked food stalls.
The RSD's Hawker Control Teams secured 36 457 court convictions for hawking offences during the year by both licensed and unlicensed hawkers. Hawker Handling Centres at Yuen Long, Tai Po and Sheung Shui police stations proved a success in dealing with hawking arrest and charging procedures and the RSD plans to extend this system to other districts.
Abattoirs
There are two abattoirs in the urban area and three slaughterhouses in the New Territories. In the long term, the two urban abattoirs and Yuen Long Slaughterhouse will be replaced by a new Sheung Shui Slaughterhouse which is scheduled for completion in 1999.
During the year, these abattoirs/slaughterhouses handled 2 429 032 pigs, 58 922 cattle and 6 531 goats, which accounted for virtually all the local fresh meat supply. All slaughtered animals were inspected by qualified health inspectors of the USD and RSD.
The USD and RSD also maintain vigilance against illegal slaughtering activities. In 1997, health inspectors of the two municipal services departments carried out 190 raids on suspected illegal slaughterhouses and made regular/surprise checks on meat stalls, resulting in 12 prosecutions against the possession of unstamped carcasses for sale.
Cemeteries and Crematoria
In land-short Hong Kong, the government encourages cremation rather than burial of the dead. During the year, over 80 per cent (from RSD's contribution) of the territory's dead were cremated. Human remains buried in public cemeteries have to be exhumed after six years and are either cremated or re-interred in an urn cemetery. The Provisional Urban Council operates one public funeral parlour in Kowloon which provides free funeral services for the needy and three service halls are open to the public free of charge. The council manages five public cemeteries and two public crematoria, and monitors 18 private cemeteries. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission manages two war cemeteries.
The RSD manages four public crematoria and six public cemeteries in the New Territories. It also oversees 10 private cemeteries and six private crematoria. Columbaria are provided at Kwai Chung, Fu Shan, Cheung Chau, Wo Hop Shek, Lamma and Peng Chau for the disposal of cremated ashes.
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