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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
There is one other important matter of administration which must be resolved shortly. In last year's Debate, I spoke of the Council's relations with the New Towns of the New Territories which will, in time, accommodate around 40% of Hong Kong's total population.
Government has now decided to set up New Towns advisory boards to be directly concerned with local amenities including recreation, cleansing, entertainments, etc. This raises immediate issues concerning USD administration and operations in the N.T. areas, and calls for a tidying-up of Urban Council-USD relations.
The simplest solution must seem, as has already been suggested by the CUC and others, that there now be distinct separation of the USD in the New Territories, from the USD in the Urban Council area of operational responsibility. This will clear the way for the "urban" USD to be re-named the "Urban Council Department" in the coming year.
Before I conclude, Mr. Chairman, I must express one reservation on the Statement of Aims as presented for our endorsement. This relates to Hawkers Select Committee.
For some time, Council accepted the view that Hawking is a business and should be treated as such. This was clearly recognized last year when it was said that a major aim of Hawker Policy was "to regard hawking as a business, disassociating it from social welfare", and that "families in need of help should be looked after by public assistance and not by the issue of hawker licences".
Now we see a new twist in the tail of this hawker policy. We are still to regard street trading as business, but hawking is not to be disassociated from social welfare. Furthermore, there are indications that hawker licences may be issued on medical grounds; and in the ultimately, all policy may be jettisoned if (in the opinion of all, or some, of the Hawkers Select Committee) we are facing a period of "adverse economic circumstances".
Unless we remain constantly alert, it seems that fundamental hawker policies may be bent or changed at the whim of a minority.
At the last Open Meeting we had a great deal of garbled comment on Hawker management and Hawker policy.
The truth of the matter is that the USD expends greater resources on Hawker control than on almost any other activity. The current bill of around $25 millions a year for Hawker services could be $35 millions next year if expansion plans are endorsed. In fact, the actual cost figure could be $40 millions a year if administration, extra cleaning services and other factors are costed into the bill.
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The truth of the matter is that we are neither a welfare department nor a medical department, nor are we some kind of board of trade—and we do no-one any service by posturing in these roles.
The truth of the matter, also, is that those who complain most of lack of management and progress and those who consistently attack, and erode, Council's efforts to implement fair and sensible hawker policies; are those, in fact, who have been at the helm of hawker management and control for the past 6, if not the past 16, years. If they now wish to admit defeat, let them move aside and make way for some of our younger professional colleagues who can at least tackle this interminable problem with fresh minds and less inhibiting emotions.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my personal appreciation to the Department and the Council Secretariat for their unfailing courtesy and co-operation; also to my Vice-Chairman, Sub-Committee Chairmen and Members of the Administration Select Committee whose support and advice have always been freely available.
Mr. Chairman, with the reservations I have expressed, I support the Motion.
ADJOURNMENT 4.35 P.M.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. As agreed, the Debate will resume on Thursday, 15th December, 1977, at 2.30 p.m. Council now stands adjourned accordingly.
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