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MR. SALES:—Am I to understand from Mr. LOBO that in point of fact he confirms that these were temporary structures?
MR. LOBO: -Yes, only for the Lunar New Year.
MR. SALES:
Thank you.
(12) In the absence of MR. B. A. BERNACCHI, MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
Is there any truth in the allegation that I have heard that hawkers that have newly traded in Sai Yeung Choi Street have been given the best sites whereas the hawkers that have been there for two years or more have only been given the poorer sites?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE Hawker Management SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the hawkers in Sai Yeung Choi Street.
There is no truth in the allegation that hawkers who have newly traded in Sai Yeung Choi Street have been given the best sites. In fact, no hawkers from Sai Yeung Choi Street have been given any permanent hawking sites. Despite numerous discussions with hawker representatives, no solution has yet been found to the problem of the Sai Yeung Choi Street hawkers. Strenuous efforts were made to provide sites for these hawkers to trade on over the Lunar New Year holidays. None of the sites were ever taken up by the hawkers. As you are probably already aware Sai Yeung Choi Street has been cleared of hawkers since November of last year. The hawkers who formerly traded on this street are now operating elsewhere and, as stated in the first part of my answer to this question, no permanent sites have yet been given to them and therefore the allegation is false.
MOTION.
VICE-CHAIRMAN: In the absence of the Chairman of the Cemeteries, Crematoria and Funeral Parlours Select Committee, I rise to move the motion standing in his name:-
"That the Funeral Parlour (Amendment) By-laws 1970 be made under section 123 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance."
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The need for making the amendments referred to in the motion is clearly set out in the explanatory note to the amendments. They simply require a licensee of a funeral parlour, who believes that any body on the premises is that of a person who has died while suffering from a quarantinable disease, to notify the Supervisor, the Deputy Supervisor or an Assistant Supervisor of Cemeteries and Crematoria in addition to a Health Officer or Health Inspector. The amendments also empower the Supervisor, his Deputy or any of his Assistants to inspect registers which are required to be kept by funeral parlours. These amendments are necessary as there were no posts of Supervisor, Deputy or Assistant Supervisors of Cemeteries and Crematoria at the time the principal By-laws were adopted. These amendments will, therefore, empower the Supervisor and his Assistants to carry out the duties required of them.
The opportunity is also taken to make a consequential amendment to the definition of "funeral parlour" in the principal By-laws following the amendments made to the Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Maternity Homes Registration Ordinance.
I beg to move.
MR. PETER P. F. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, may I second the motion?
CHAIRMAN:-The motion has been moved and seconded. Does any Member wish to speak?
MR. SALES: --I have nothing to say beyond asking a question. The Vice-Chairman made a speech as proposer of this motion. My Colleagues and I would like to know whether that would have been the speech which Mr. Solomon RAFEEK would have made had he been here?
VICE-CHAIRMAN:-The answer is in the affirmative.
MR. SALES: Thank you.
That clarifies the position. We give support to this motion. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:-I thought this was actually made clear, Ladies and Gentlemen, when the Vice-Chairman spoke and said he was making this reply on behalf of Solomon.
MR. SALES: No, I am sorry, Sir. He said he was moving this on behalf of Mr. Solomon RAFEEK, but he did not say he was going to make the same speech that Mr. Solomon RAFEEK would have made.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
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