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blue-collar and white-collar workers, and particularly the workers in factory areas. Eighteen months ago, the Committee noticed the serious lunch problem facing workers. I made a proposal to the Committee for an amendment of the law to permit operation of workers' canteens in factory buildings to serve workers employed in nearby factories. This would not only keep the canteens under health control but also enable workers to have cheaper lunches. When the proposal was accepted, it was referred to the Urban Services Department for discussion with the other Government departments concerned to work out relevant details to be submitted to the Committee, so that it could go further to consider amendments of the law and put it into practice. However, some of the departments concerned were working at a slow pace. They let time slip by, and no concrete report has yet been made on this matter to date. For this, I apologize to the Chairman, Members of the Council, and the members of the public concerned. Fortunately, part of the draft has come to my hand in time. We discussed it with the interested departments and got the Government Secretariat's drafting approval last month. The Urban Services Department is now working out detailed proposals covering area requirements, licence fees, licensing conditions, and other relevant points and will submit them to the Council. After discussions with the departments concerned, they will be forwarded to the Attorney General's Chambers, which will then start drafting amendments of the legislation. Similar proposals for amendment for the New Territories are also being worked out by the Urban Services Department.
The present legislation on 'canteens' only permits them to be set up and used by individual factories. Take-away food service or provision of food service to people other than factory staff would be a breach of the law. Owing to the present shortage of factory sites and high land prices, especially in areas like Kwun Tong and San Po Kong where factories were established years ago, it is difficult to allocate space for the operation of 'canteens set up and used by individual factories'. As for the Government, because such areas have already been developed, it is also difficult to spare space to provide canteen facilities. Moreover, other than management problems, since one canteen can only serve the staff of one factory, it is not economical to operate in view of the present situations of land shortage and land usage. Thus, factory owners shrink back at the thought. Therefore, it is necessary to amend the law before the problem can be solved. But making amendments is not easy; the Council has to take into account the benefits of all those concerned in order to achieve a perfectly sound effect. For example, factory canteens must be different from the existing food premises (i.e., general restaurants and light refreshment restaurants) so as not to affect their business. The word 'different' means imposition of restrictions on the kind of customers served, food provided, and service hours. On the other hand, the health requirements of 'canteens' should be reasonably and restrictedly relaxed on condition that food hygiene is not affected so as to meet the demand of the situation. If a moderate, reasonable, and satisfactory measure is to be devised, it will not be an easy task and much time is required.
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demand of the situation. If a moderate, reasonable and satisfactory measure is to be devised, it will not be an easy task and much time is required.
The Urban Services Department has been making the greatest effort in order to realize the hope of the Committee as early as possible, even though there is staff shortage in the sections concerned. I am satisfied with this, but the question has already become a social problem. In this case, I have but to urge the Department frequently to submit a report to the Committee so that this serious problem can be discussed and solved as soon as possible.
Early this month, the issue was discussed in the Committee's regular meeting, and I would like to report here to the Chairman and Members of the Council. The preliminary result of the discussion is that the Committee opposes the draft of the new legislation which 'only permits canteens to be set up and be used by individual factories'. I am quite happy to see that members of the Committee were so ready to air their views and make arguments in the discussion, as this reflects that our members are really treating the issue with concern. Nevertheless, we still have to discuss this hot issue, and we understand we will encounter difficulties in the process of the amendment of the legislation. But, I can guarantee to the Chairman and Members of the Council that the Food Hygiene Select Committee and its members will make the greatest effort to solve the problem and will also co-operate with the other departments concerned so that the amendment of the legislation will be effected as early as possible.
MISS TAM (in English):- Mr Chairman, can I ask the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee that in order to reduce the magnitude of this problem, can the Urban Council suggest to the Government that a special term should be attached to the condition of sale or condition of exchange granted to developers to include plans of canteens in factory buildings?
MR CHOW (in Cantonese):- As to this problem, our Select Committee did discuss this proposal. When the Urban Services Department gives us details on drafting, we will discuss this as well. If this is agreed to by our Select Committee and if the Standing Committee of the Whole Council agrees to it, I am sure we can put forward this proposal to the Government.
CHAIRMAN (in English):- Mr Augustine CHUNG and Dr Denny HUANG in that order.
MR AUGUSTINE S. K. CHUNG (in Cantonese):- Mr Chairman, in the past, there were many small-scale food caterers. They helped blue and white-collar workers in that they provided them with lunches. They hope that Government can help them to become legal establishments because they are operating illegally right now in domestic premises. I want to ask the Chairman of the Select Committee whether he has tried his best to help