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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN (in English):-If you wish.
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Dr. HUANG raised the question of a survey by the Baptist College. Perhaps he has not discussed this in great detail. The thing is that Dr. HUANG and Mr. Hu are both right on the question of the Tung Choi Street, but they set up the site at 9 a.m. in the morning and they start business at 12 noon, but by nine in the morning, they have already placed all their carts there. Therefore both are right. But the survey reveals that 50% of the people take occupied pitches and those who do not occupy site also make up 50% and 80% of the people who object to the "First come, first served" basis. Therefore those who do not occupy sites beforehand also object to the "First come, first served" principle. I do not know whether Mr. Hu can take this into consideration and discuss this further at the Hawkers Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I would like to ask Mr. CHOW whether it is not a fact that he will be giving to the Select Committee the Findings of that survey?
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese):-The result of the survey is being sent to-day, but may not have arrived. My suggestion has also been sent to the Committee and to the Chairman of the Select Committee for their consideration.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you very much. You have given a clear answer to my question.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I have two points to raise. Mr. Hu said that the Hawker Permitted Area Scheme will be a success and the scheme is helpful to those unemployed and I would like Mr. Hu to give some specific figures to support his statement. Secondly on the question raised by Dr. HUANG whether the Hawkers Select Committee has carefully considered the "First come, first served" basis, and whether this basis would affect those who are old or weak and I do not think Mr. Hu has answered this question. Of course, I am sympathetic to Mr. Hu, but I think Mr. Hu should give a definite answer.
MR. HU (in English):—Mr. TSIN raised the point of the weak and the old hawkers. I have been the one who always wanted to look after them. So I always advocate that hawker matters cannot be dissociated with social welfare angle, but the recent development is that most of the Members consider that hawking in Hong Kong is more or less like a business and also the Government, in recent years, has established a so-called Public Assistance Scheme. That means that those who are old can receive social welfare benefit. So the social welfare angle of hawking, in my observation, are now somewhat reduced. Therefore, the question is not so serious in a practical sense. Of course, sentimentally speaking, I still want to look after the old and weak who are hawking. But some of them are eligible to have social welfare assistance. This is one point. We certainly will look into that aspect. If an old person is there early enough, he could still occupy the site. The second point of Mr. TSIN's question is about the "First come, first served" basis. You want me to give you the figure of how it will assist unemployment? I am sorry to say that I cannot give you any complete figures on this. But I think it is generally recognized that this is a scheme which attempts to help unemployment.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. HU (in English):—continued...
MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I think Question No. 4 was not perfectly answered.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Would you please put Question No. 5?
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):-But I do not know whether my Question No. 4 can be asked again, but.
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Miss Cecilia YEUNG, the Chairman has invited you to put Question No. 5. Will you please put Question No. 5 or don't you want to ask it? (Laughter).
(5) MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese):
As to the different types of hawker licence, could I please be advised whether there is a distinct separation between the "Dry goods" licence and the "Wet goods" licence?
MR. HENRY H. L. HU, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-
Mr. Chairman, there is no specific dry goods licence nor wet goods licence for hawkers. But Bylaw 8 of the Hawker Bylaws states that every fixed pitch hawker licence shall specify the nature of the commodity to be sold or the service to be provided by the licensee. Ordinary fixed pitch licences are therefore endorsed to indicate that the licensee may sell wet food products or dry food products or other goods and services. No such endorsement is needed for itinerant hawker licences.
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