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Appendix I (Contd.)
7.
8.
(2) processing all applications for licences by a Central Licensing Unit to ensure that licences are granted as expeditiously as possible, and to further improve the licensing procedure whenever appropriate;
(3) working closely with the Housing Department and the Public Works Department, in improving the design of food premises in new estates and housing projects; and
(4) taking such action as may be practicable to prevent the operation of illegal or unhygienic food premises and business.
(iii) Liquor Licensing
(a) To review the legislation relating to liquor licensing and the control of licensed premises, and to recommend appropriate amendments.
(b) To streamline the licensing procedure.
(c) To enforce the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations.
Hawkers
(a) To seek a gradual reduction in the number of hawkers as circumstances permit.
(b) To seek suitable sites for bazaars and to get hawkers off-street into bazaars and markets.
(c) To confine hawking to specified areas not detrimental to the local environment.
(d) To put hawking under proper control, reduce to a minimum the nuisances created by hawking, and to limit hawking to small-scale business.
(e) To give established hawkers a legitimate status.
(f) To regard hawking as a business, but not entirely disassociating it from social welfare.
(g) To recognize that, in times of adverse economic circumstances, hawking is capable of acting as a buffer against unemployment and that, when favourable economic conditions prevail, the Select Committee will take such steps as may be deemed advisable to reduce street trading; in this light, implementation of the aims set up at (a) to (f) above can be modified by the Select Committee.
Libraries
(i) To maintain and further strengthen the stock in existing libraries by acquiring 50,000 volumes of books, 360 gramophone records and cassette tapes, and microfilms of the "Times" and of local major English and Chinese newspapers;
(ii) To open new libraries at Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Chai Wan;
(iii) To plan for the setting up of three other district libraries;
(iv) to acquire 72,000 volumes of books for the three new libraries referred to in (iii);
(v) To plan for an expansion in audio-visual library services;
(vi) To plan for the setting up of a subject library on sports and recreation;
(vii) To plan for the provision of special services for the aged and invalid;
(viii) To stimulate greater and better use of library facilities, particularly by younger members of the community, through a programme of extension activities (e.g. book exhibitions, subject talks, story hours, film shows, competitions, organized group library visits, etc.);
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(ix) To achieve greater efficiency and provide better service to the public, in particular by automating the system for the circulation of library books;
(x) To provide expert advice to other libraries when required, and to encourage the establishment of new libraries by other organizations;
(xi) To maintain close co-operation with local and overseas libraries, particularly in the areas of inter-library loans and photocopy services.
9. Markets and Abattoirs
(a) Markets
(i) To reprovision and/or modernize existing markets and to construct new markets with improved, modern facilities, to meet the changing needs of the urban areas.
(ii) To secure maximum efficiency in the management of markets by strengthening the Public Market By-laws whenever the need arises, and by developing a standard tenancy agreement, the provisions of which are enforceable and permit periodic reviews of rents.
(iii) To improve the standard of cleanliness and hygiene in all markets in the urban areas.
(iv) To carry out research into the retail marketing needs of the urban areas, examining in particular the changing pattern of consumer demand, the trend towards bulk delivery and distribution of market commodities, and the facilities provided by food hawkers and fresh provision shops, in order to obtain a basis for the efficient distribution, planning and design of modern market facilities.
(v) To foster co-operation with market stallholders and Government departments in the planning and improvement of marketing facilities.
(b) Abattoirs
(i) To ensure that the abattoirs at Kennedy Town and Cheung Sha Wan are run in accordance with the highest practicable standards of hygiene and efficiency.
(ii) To carry out the further mechanization and expansion programme of the existing abattoirs as recommended by the Abattoirs Working Party with a view to minimizing labour costs and maximizing overall efficiency and productivity.
(iii) To continue in-service training to ensure a supply of skilled butchers and to authorize suitable overseas training and attachments on modern animal slaughtering techniques for butchery staff and members of the Health Inspectorate.
(iv) To continue with the local training course for Health Inspectors in Meat and other Foods Inspection to meet the shortage of qualified Food/Meat Inspectors.
(v) To give support to proposals for building new abattoirs to meet the requirements of the expanding population.
10. Museums
(a) General
(i) To commence detailed planning of the new museum at Tsim Sha Tsui;
(ii) To press for the completion of the new museum by 1982;
(iii) To expand the present conservation service to cover the needs of both Museums;
(iv) To commence planning of a museum of science and technology.
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