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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
So far, no Urban Council projects agreed upon by the operating Select Committees have been refused, deferred, or progress impeded due to lack of available funds.
In fact, the present position is that the rate of the Urban Council's expenditure on approved projects is governed solely by the capacity of the Public Works Department or the Urban Services Department.
It is to be hoped that in accordance with Council policy the Select Committees which are responsible for developing facilities such as swimming pools, games halls, etc. will continue to press ahead with all speed to provide such facilities in districts or sub-districts where there are heavy concentrations of population.
STATEMENT BY MR. CHARLES C. C. SIN, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ILLEGAL FOOD CATERERS
MR. CHARLES C. C. SIN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, much has appeared in the press of late criticising the Council's policy on illegal food caterers. The Council's policy is to prohibit food businesses to be carried out in upper floors of domestic buildings. I feel that it is my duty as the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee since 1.4.1973 to make clear the reasons for the making of such a policy.
2. I would start by stating that this Council is charged with the duty to protect public health and, just as important, to protect the public from nuisances.
3. In 1966, the Council received many complaints from occupiers in domestic buildings about nuisances namely, filth, obnoxious smells, smoke, fumes, noise and obstruction in corridors and stairways created by food catering businesses including restaurants, being carried on in upper floors of domestic buildings. On the 20th October 1966, at a meeting of the then Food and Food Premises Select Committee it was decided to refuse the issue of a licence to any food business operating in upper floors of domestic buildings. This meeting incidentally was attended by 4 medical doctors as well as expert health staff.
4. It was on this date that the Council's present policy on illegal food caterers first came into being.
5.
The main advocate of this policy was the then vice-chairman of the political party now opposing the policy. This member was of
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the opinion that it was wrong in principle to licence any food premises in a residential building and this member rightly remarked that "When licensing food premises the environmental, health and financial aspects of the other tenants in the same residential building must be considered.” On the 29th March 1967, the Food and Food Premises Select Committee re-confirmed this policy when it decided that all applications for licences for food factories and restaurants in premises on upper floors of domestic buildings should be refused.
6.
7. This policy was once again confirmed by members of the Select Committee at a meeting on the 23rd October 1970.
8. Action has always been taken by the Urban Services Department against illegal food catering in accordance with the Council's 1966 policy.
9. In the 3rd quarter of 1972, the Department carried out two surveys on illegal food caterers for the purpose of assisting members of the Food and Food Premises Select Committee to re-consider the Council's 1966 policy. The Department was asked to consider the extent to which conditions and requirements would be imposed on food catering business in domestic premises. After having made the surveys and having carefully considered the matter further, the Department advised the Council that it was of the firm opinion that the 1966 policy should not be changed. The Department's health expert further confirmed its advice that no requirements which the Council might impose would render premises in domestic buildings suitable for use as food factories. The main nuisances discovered by health staff during the surveys were:
(a) Blood, grease and other drippings onto floors of corridors and steps during delivery of raw material.
(b) Spillage, smell, etc. during delivery of prepared food.
(c) Smoke and fumes from cooking on a scale far beyond that intended in domestic premises.
(d) High noise level during preparation, cooking, delivery, etc.
(e) Obstruction caused by regular conveyance of raw and cooked food and used utensils through corridors and stair-ways not designed for such traffic.
(f) Accumulation of refuse and food remnants far in excess of that intended on higher floors of domestic buildings.
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