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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Yes, I have already answered that one, Sir, but I am not quite sure how this fits in with rainstorm damage.
MR. HU:-Forget about rainstorm damage. (Laughter). What I want to say is, is that the general principle of your answer?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Yes, I have already said so.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, is my count correct that Mr. ASERAPPA has clarified his last paragraph four times? (Laughter).
MR. HU:-I would say that since Mr. CHEONG-LEEN is not pleased with my supplementary, I will not ask any more supplementaries.
(10) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:--
What provision is being made in the new North Point Market now under construction in Tsat Tse Mui Road for hawkers, including the present illegal hawkers of meat and fish in the area?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
42 mini-stalls, each measuring 6' x 4', are being provided in this market and it is anticipated that these will be taken up by hawkers now selling fruit and vegetables. Priority will be given to authorized hawkers now trading in Healthy Street East.
In addition to the mini-stalls, the new market will contain twelve large shop-type stalls, measuring 23′ 3′′ x 32′ 9′′, suitable for the sale of meat, fish or poultry. It is not intended that these should be allocated to hawkers and they will be leased by public tender in the usual way. As you are aware, Sir, the hawking of meat and fish is illegal because of the danger to public health which it creates and any person who wishes to sell these commodities can do so legally in a licensed fresh provision shop or a market stall.
MR. BERNACCHI:--A number of supplementaries, Mr. Chairman. The first supplementary is what about other streets in North Point? Why priority to authorized hawkers trading in Healthy Street East?
MR. LOBO: Mr. BERNACCHI knows, Sir, that these are hawkers who have been moved there temporarily, and this is a licensed area for hawkers. They will be off the street as soon as possible.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. BERNACCHI:-So, in effect, the hawkers in the other streets will not be cleared when the new North Point market comes into being?
MR. LOBO:-The streets surrounding, or most adjacent, to the new market have a number of hawkers. I presume that Mr. BERNACCHI is talking about meat and fish hawkers in this case I have checked this and, in Pak Fuk Road, there is one unlicensed cooked food stall, two licensed cooked food stalls, two fish hawkers and one cooked food pedlar. On the other side in Healthy Street Central there are two fish stalls, illegal, of course, but tolerated, one meat hawker and two licensed food stalls. It is hoped that these fish and meat hawkers will be able to be accommodated in the new market.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Now, that leads me into my next supplementary. There are, I think, in fact a large number of meat and fish hawkers in North Point generally. Why cannot a portion of the mini-stalls be allocated to these hawkers to sell meat or fish. In fact, is there any need for the 12 larger stalls, because many more small stalls than 42 could then be provided.
MR. LOBO:-I do not know at the moment what policy the Hawker Policy Select Committee will adopt for illegal hawkers. I am not responsible for illegal hawkers, but the sizes of stalls provided for this market conform with the Food and Food Premises Select Committee's requirements.
MR. BERNACCHI:-The next question concerns cooked food stalls. Cooked food is sold from stalls 6' x 4'. Is there any real difference between fresh fish stalls and cooked food stalls? Cannot even fresh meat, and fish, also be sold in clean surroundings from stalls measuring 6' x 4'?
MR. LOBO:-You mean, within the market?
MR. BERNACCHI:--Yes.
MR. LOBO: The market has been provided for selling food to housewives and not in the interest of restaurants. However, in some cases we have had occasion to consider in certain areas, the use of empty stalls as cooked food stalls, but at the moment this is not feasible because of the hygienic conditions.
MR. BERNACCHI:-My point is, as cooked food is sold from stalls 6' x 4', is there any health objection to fresh meat and fresh fish also being sold from stalls in markets 6' x 4', i.e. mini-stalls?
MR. LOBO:-I cannot answer for the Food and Food Premises or for the hygienic conditions. We will certainly look into it.
MR. BERNACCHI:-As it is clearly better to have some sort of control than no control, could the matter be referred to the Select Committees concerned, which seem to be three Select Committees?
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