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MR. SALES: Sir, you may not be aware that, in your absence, the Select Committee decided that it should look for another site for the open-air theatre in Kowloon, because Whitfield Barracks has not proved a suitable site. I consider that this area would be eminently suitable for this purpose, being away from the funnel to Kai Tak. Would you put that suggestion to the Government, please?
CHAIRMAN: I will consider that one too, Mr. SALES.
(5) MR. D. J. R. BLAKER asked the following question:-
(a) How many sites are considered to be necessary to accommodate in off-street bazaars all static hawkers at present trading regularly on the streets? What approximate area would this require?
(b) Is the Government prepared to allocate the amount of land needed for this purpose? If so, at what cost?
(c) How long is it estimated to take before such a programme could be substantially completed?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER POLICY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
No accurate figures are yet available of the number of static hawkers at present trading regularly on the streets. The Urban Services Department has already made plans to carry out a survey in the near future of hawkers in the urban areas with the aid of a recent substantial increase in its Hawker Liaison staff.
There are more than 28,000 licensed hawkers in the urban areas, plus a number of unlicensed hawkers conservatively estimated at about the same figure, making in all about 56,000-plus operating hawkers, disregarding dependants and helpers.
Not all of these hawkers operate on the streets. A comparatively small proportion are already sited in off-street bazaars, and a much larger proportion operate off-street within resettlement estates, some in authorized bazaars and many in unauthorized sites meant for other uses. If one assumes that about 50 square feet are required for each hawker (allowing for customer access, drainage and standing room for the operator), then about 19 acres could be utilized to resite all hawkers.
As regards the second part of the question, the Council's Revised Hawker Policy 1969 was cleared through all the concerned departments of Government. One of the fundamental recognitions in that policy is that resumption of land on a large-scale to form off-street bazaars in the already developed areas is not practicable. However, bearing in mind other, equally strong, competing demands for the available land, e.g. recreation areas, housing, parking, etc., it has been agreed that every available opportunity should be taken to set aside areas of land for hawker bazaars. A start has already been made with such off-street bazaars as that adjoining Kowloon City Market, at Hip Wo and Shui Wo Streets in Kwun Tong, adjoining Fa Yuen Street Market, and at Ngau Chi Wan. Other off-street bazaars are in the pipeline. As this approach is short-term and immediate, no assessment of land costs has yet been made.
It is also relevant to mention the Council's policy of including in new markets a number of mini-stalls to accommodate fruit and vegetable hawkers. This too will have some long-term effect in resiting hawkers off-street.
As regards the last part of the question, I regret that any estimate of mine would be nothing but sheer speculation, as the answer to the question assumes sufficient off-street areas being made available, probably at the expense of other amenities or necessities, and the implications of this are both enormous and far-reaching. Indeed, in some of the older, built-up areas, it may never be possible to clear hawkers entirely from the streets, owing to lack of suitable sites. Therefore, our long-term aim should be to have a co-ordinated policy to encourage as many as possible of able-bodied hawkers, legal or illegal, to enter industry where there is a serious shortage of industrial workers. Towards this end, we will have to rely upon the full and continuous support of other Government departments, particularly the Labour Department and the Social Welfare Department.
The Urban Services Department estimates that there is one hawker to 135 head of population. This might be a rather high ratio for a place like Hong Kong that is industrializing at such a rapid pace. Let us hope that as wage levels in industry increase, and the New Hawker Policy of the Urban Council begins to take effect, then there will be a gradual but steady reduction of the total number of hawkers in the urban areas.
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