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MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):---Mr. Chairman, in view of the lack of co-operation from the hawkers, could it be noted that we should prepare the bazaars before they move in, and not get this trouble afterwards? I am sure they have reason for the complaint.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-We will take up this point when we improve the bazaar.
(4) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question (in English):-
What action is being taken to protect our licensed hawkers from intimidation and extortion by Triad gangsters?
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-
Mr. Chairman, members of this Council will surely appreciate that the Urban Council has no control over activities of the type referred to in Mrs. ELLIOTT's question. Be this as it may, I can assure the Council that as and when information of such activities is available either to my Committee or to hawker staff, it is immediately drawn to the attention of the Police for investigation and follow-up. I therefore suggest that Mrs. ELLIOTT, or any member of the Council, should approach the Police Department direct, if they have information on triad activities or other matters of a criminal nature outside the jurisdiction of the Urban Council.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, is the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee aware that in fact I did bring the matter before the Police, and they said that they have not got the personnel to deal with triad control over hawkers? So what are we going to do first? (Laughter).
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-We certainly will look into this question further. Mr. Chairman, as you know we have the Assistant Commissioner of Police sitting in our Select Committee, and we certainly will raise this problem with him. Since the Assistant Commissioner deals with matters on the Kowloon side, so it would be very appropriate to raise this matter in the next Select Committee meeting.
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MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, is the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee aware of the fact that this was raised with this gentleman and he was the one who said that he could not do anything about it? (Laughter).
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-Mr. Chairman, of course, we always could raise it again and persuade him to look into this matter.
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, would Mrs. ELLIOTT be good enough if, in any particular case that concerns her concerning triad activities, any such correspondence could be sent in the first instance to the Chairman of the Select Committee? I am sure that he himself personally would be glad looking into it.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Is Mr. CHEONG-LEEN speaking for the Chairman of last year's Select Committee, or the current Chairman? (Laughter).
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I am sure that you recognize (Laughter) that you are Chairman for the current year, and you are also responsible for the good working order of all select committees within your terms of reference.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):---I am very pleased if any letter could be referred to me, and I would certainly refer it to the relevant authorities.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in English): Mr. Chairman, I think there is perhaps something that the Chairman and the Hawkers Select Committee can look into. If there is intimidation of a transfer of hawker licence as one of the cases which probably prompted Mrs. ELLIOTT into it, and as some other cases have sometimes come up and the Committee has looked into. If there is anything that can be done with the licensing or suspending of some of those people who seek to get transference, or to do some disciplinary action as the licensing authority, perhaps that would probably act as a deterrent as one of the cases Mrs. ELLIOTT and myself and Mr. BERNACCHI wanted the Select Committee to look into the complaint of newspaper hawker some years ago.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you very much. I think the point is well taken. Now Mr. Henry Hu has worked very hard, and is a most energetic Chairman of the Select Committee. He takes you all on inspections every Saturday morning, and I think he has many questions to answer, so we will, with the Council's permission, proceed to the next question.
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