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wish to provide their services. They have also been advised to provide business cards bearing their names and addresses as well as the cost of their services.
If there should be further complaints against these photographers, the Management will take further action to effect the removal and if necessary the prosecution of the offending photographers under the City Hall Regulations.
MR HU (In English):---Mr. Chairman, just one supplementary. I would ask Mr. Kenneth Lo are the measures taken effective?
MR. LO (In English):-I have had no reports, Mr. Chairman, as to whether the measures taken have had any effect. I think this is a matter that has quite recently been brought to the attention of the management.
MR. HU (In English):-Is it because after the receipt of my question then that the attention was drawn to the management of the City Hall?
MR. LO (In English):-I have had no report about this particular matter at this time. As Mr. Hu has pointed out, his question came quite late, but if Mr. Hu wishes perhaps this could be passed to the City Hall Management who would make a report for those Members who wish to pursue this matter any further.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (In English):-Mr. Chairman, may I ask if Mr. Lo and Mr. Hu saw the correspondence about this in the newspaper and that the City Hall Management has already replied through the press?
MR. LO (In English):—I am afraid this particular matter was not brought to my attention at that time.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-In any case, I am sure that Members will support Mr. Henry Hu, because we do not want nagging to start so soon after the wedding ceremony. (Laughter).
(3) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question (In English):
What is the policy of the Council toward the food-caterers? Am I correct in saying that the Council while appreciating their contribution toward the community will review the hygienic standard and take positive attitude in helping
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them to meet such standard so that they can continue their business?
MR. PETER P. K. NG, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD AND FOOD PREMISES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (In English):—
This question concerns unlicensed food caterers.
I must first make it clear that the Council is not singling out unlicensed food caterers. In 1966 the Council agreed, as a matter of policy, to prohibit food businesses in the upper floors of domestic buildings as experience had shown that no such business could operate in such premises without causing a considerable nuisance to their domestic neighbours. We must not forget that this Council has a statutory duty to protect people from nuisances of this nature, and we owe as much to domestic tenants as we do to those engaged in food businesses.
The 1966 policy was recently reviewed by the Food and Food Premises Select Committee and was referred to the Standing Committee of the Whole Council on 16th January for a final decision. After very careful consideration, the Standing Committee agreed that the 1966 policy had to be upheld. Members recognized that food caterers, who would be affected by this decision, are providing a useful service and that any drastic action to curtail the service immediately could seriously affect those members of the public who rely on daily meals from such caterers. It was therefore agreed that illegal caterers should be phased out in conjunction with steps to introduce legal caterers and any other type of business which could provide cheap meals, including box lunches, etc.
The Food and Food Premises Select Committee which will, in future, be known as the Food Hygiene Select Committee, has been studying and, under the new chairmanship of Mr. Charles SIN, will continue to study, the phasing out programme and the introduction of new sources for supplying hygienically prepared cheap meals.
It will be seen therefore that the answer to the second part of the question is that, in view of the above and in view of the Council's recent simplification of all requirements and conditions, every assistance has been given to food businesses, and all food caterers can obtain a licence on meeting the Council's basic requirements.
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