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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
No. 4.
No. 5.
No. 6.
No. 7.
Only electricity and/or town gas is used for cooking purposes.
The staircases serving the school are independent of the restaurant and are so protected that a fire in the restaurant would not render any of the staircases or means of escape for school children unusable. There are at least two intervening floors serving as a buffer zone between the restaurant and the school.
If the restaurant is situated on upper floors of an R.C.C. building with a school in the same building, the restaurant must be provided with its own staircases independent of the school and can comply with requirements (2) - (6) I have just mentioned.
Some relaxation in the case of bona-fide light refreshment restaurants (not selling hot Chinese dishes whatsoever and using only town gas or electricity as fuel), may be permitted if the restaurant can comply with requirement No. 5 and subject to applicants agreeing to sign a written undertaking that their bona-fide light refreshment restaurants will not change to a general restaurant business. I must stress that with the diversity of types of buildings in Hong Kong, it is quite impossible to set out detailed and water-tight conditions to cover every case or situation where co-existence of restaurants and schools could be permitted. The requirements which I have already mentioned can only be broad policy guidance, and every case has to be considered on its merits. This applies both to situations where a school already exists in a building and a restaurant applies for a licence in the same building, and where a school applies for registration in the same premises as an existing restaurant.
With regard to the second part of Mr. KAN's question, the requirements I have quoted were not finally agreed until late 1969. No specific study has since been carried out, but as these requirements are for broad general guidance, it follows that they are kept under constant review in the light of practical experience.
MR. KAN: Mr. Chairman, it appears that all the requirements with the exception of No. 7 refer to a situation where a school is located on a floor above or higher than a restaurant. Does it mean that if the reverse is the case, requirements Nos. 2-6 do not apply?
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MR. NG: Mr. Chairman, I think if the reverse is the case, we have mentioned in No. 7 already.
MR. KAN: Yes, that is what I said, No. 7. My second supplementary is, has the Food and Food Premises Select Committee instructed that every case be considered on its merits because it is rather against the normal principle of straight and clear-cut By-laws or Regulations?
MR. NG: Yes, Mr. Chairman, in fact, I recall there was one case in King's Road last year when there was some exception made to it after detailed study of the case.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, does that mean in each particular case on its merits within the broad definition of policy?
MR. NG: Yes, Mr. Chairman.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, could we also have the assurance when exceptions are made they are made by the Select Committee upon advice from the department and not unilaterally by the department.
MR. NG: Yes, when exceptions are made, it is referred to and studied by the Committee.
(17) MR. CHARLES C. C. SIN asked the following question:
(a) Is there a post office situated within Lam Tin Estate to serve the residents thereat, having regard to the fact that the population residing in the estate exceeds 50,000?
(b) If there is no post office situated within the said estate, can the Chairman state what is the reason for not having a post office within the said estate and how many post office letter boxes (pillar boxes) are there within the estate?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
There is no post office within Lam Tin Estate. However, I am informed by the Postmaster General that the situation will be reviewed in the light of the progress of the estate towards its ultimate population of 100,000 in the middle of 1972.
Two letter boxes have been provided within the estate, i.e., one at On Tin Street and the other at the junction of Kai Tin Road and Tak Tin Road. A licensed stamp vendor is also available in Block 1 to provide stamps and aerogrammes to residents.
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