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(3) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question (in Cantonese):-
Is it true that this Council is planning to control canteens instead of the current practice of advising canteen operators on hygienic matters? If the answer is yes, may I be advised as to the advantages of licensing control over the current practice and its practicability, bearing in mind what has happened to the attempted control of food caterers.
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):
Mr. Chairman, the question of whether canteens and clubs should be licensed was considered at a meeting of the Food Hygiene Select Committee on 26th May, 1976, when it was decided that, before any conclusions could be reached, the size of the problem must be assessed and a survey conducted to discover the number of canteens and clubs, their nature and general standard of hygiene. This survey is at present under way.
In the meantime, as an interim measure, a fresh code of practice has been issued to clubs and canteens.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, I hope the Food Hygiene Select Committee will reconsider the question of whether canteens and clubs should be licensed. They should consider three points. Firstly, even in Britain, restaurants need not have to apply for a licence, but in Hong Kong, they do. Does it mean that the people of Hong Kong are dirty or our standards of hygiene are higher than others? Secondly, I hope that they will also consider that we, in Hong Kong, are encouraging firms and factories to have their own canteens so that we don't have to have food caterers and, under certain circumstances, if they have to apply for a licence, would it affect the establishing of canteens in firms and factories? Thirdly, I hope the Food Hygiene Select Committee would also consider that, as the Urban Services Department is always understaffed, we have to take on a further burden of issuing licences. Also, people will say that we are greedy and, on the other hand, we will be understaffed to do so.
CHAIRMAN (in English):- This is a supplementary question? (Laughter)
MR. CHOW (in Cantonese):- With the permission of the Chairman, may I consider this to be a question? (Laughter)
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MR. F. K. HU (in English):- Mr. Chairman, Mr. CHOW told me about this new code of practice. I would like to know whether there was any old code of practice in the past and if there was, what is the difference?
MR. CHOW (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, we did have an old code of practice. The difference between the old one and the new one is that we have added some new items to tell the operators of the canteens and clubs how to store their food, hygienic problems of staff and other new points. I can't tell Mr. Hu off-hand what are the actual differences, but there are improvements.
(4) DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question (in Cantonese):
It was reported that the Town Planning Board wants to turn a part of the Kowloon Park along Nathan Road into shops, would the Chairman of Recreation and Amenities Select Committee please advise this Council:-
(a) What implications are likely to arise from this proposal?
(b) Has he, on behalf of his Select Committee, raised objections to the Town Planning Board?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-
Mr. Chairman, the Town Planning Board has recently drawn up a draft Outline Zoning Plan for Tsim Sha Tsui which was approved by the Executive Council on 22nd June 1976 for public exhibition and objection. The zoning proposals relating to the Kowloon Park area are:- (a) Definite sites, mainly located on the northern part, have been marked out for the Tsim Sha Tsui Kaifong School and Hall, a Swimming Pool Complex, a Police Station, and Government Institutional and Community Use;
(b) A strip of land running parallel to and fronting part of Nathan Road is zoned for "Public Open Space with Shops Below", restricted to one or two storey shops with basements, to be covered by the park at roof level, and
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