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frequency of inspections to such premises to ensure that satisfactory health and hygiene standards are being maintained.
The department will also pay close attention to premises selling or preparing ice-cream, milk, and non-bottled drinks, since such foods will quickly deteriorate if they are not properly handled and stored at low temperatures.
The department will shortly launch a food hygiene campaign to drive home to operators of food premises as well as the public the principles of good food hygiene, and suitable publicity will be arranged from time to time to keep this important subject in the public eye.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):—I wish to thank Miss YEUNG for giving me the remaining part of the reply to my question. Mr. Chairman, I wish to ask 2 further supplementaries. Firstly, at present there are certain food premises or food factories that have given rise to food poisoning outbreaks. Is it true to say that the fines at present imposed are far too lenient and could hardly serve as a deterrent for food operators and therefore they no longer pay special attention to food hygiene thus resulting in food poisoning outbreaks. If so, what measures will be taken to improve the situation? My second question is, perhaps Miss Yeung would like to put them down, if the eating houses have given rise to food poisoning outbreaks, then under the circumstances, checks would have to be made on the food which is suspected to have caused poisoning. In the process of testing of food, the public's health must be borne in mind. Is it possible to add to the licensing conditions to the effect that eating establishments which have caused food poisoning outbreaks should be suspended for business when tests are being made and should remain suspended until the tests have been completed to ensure the health of the public is protected?
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Quite a long supplementary, how would anyone remember it? It is really a request for additional information, Miss YEUNG, would you be prepared to try the first one? It is really a hypothetical question, you needn't answer if you don't wish to, because we ought to take legal advice on that one. Are you prepared to answer?
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):—Yes, perhaps I can answer a part of it and I am sure you, Mr. Chairman, fully understand the procedures in the Committee, sometimes it is not as simple that I can decide by myself. But coming back to the first question, perhaps I will take the last part of the question first because he has just asked that one. Mr. CHAN asked whether in case of food poisoning outbreaks in certain eating establishments, their licences can be suspended until the tests have been completed. I think that should be decided by the Committee concerned because it would be wrong to suspend licence before licences are convicted for breaching of law. I doubt whether this is possible. For instance, we have ice-cream vendors that may have caused food poisoning outbreaks and tests have been made and perhaps for 2 weeks, they must suspend their business. We are not sure whether or not their licences can be suspended this is outside
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our ambit. Coming back to the first question, it seems that Mr. CHAN was asking, recently in view of the many food poisoning incidents, whether the fines imposed are too low. The maximum fine has not been changed for a long time, that is true. But my personal view is that many changes have occurred in society recently. We were not used to having so many people selling and eating lunch boxes. In view of the increasing business, they have been rather careless in preparing lunch boxes, but it may have something to do with our inspection procedures. As to the fines, perhaps that can be taken up at Committee level to see whether it is the appropriate time to review the fine levels.
MR. K. M. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, what measures will be taken to control unlicensed hawkers selling food?
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, concerning unlicensed hawkers, it has been our policy not to allow them to operate but because of limited staff resources and the vast number of illegal hawkers selling food, it is very difficult to control them entirely. It seems that we have not completely solved the problem. However, my personal view is that instead of catching them, perhaps we should persuade the public to pay attention to the problem for the benefit of their own health. For instance, parents can prohibit their children eating from these places.
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Miss YEUNG, that is a quite good answer to the question. Joseph, you have another supplementary I think, don't you? Not such a tricky one this time, otherwise we will have to rule it out of order.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):—I am very serious this time. Mr. Chairman, Miss YEUNG in her reply said that there will be more inspections made by Health Inspectors. How many Inspectors do we have and do we really have enough staff to go round to the food premises and, if not, then what is the frequency of inspections at present? If we do not really have enough staff resources, are there plans in hand to improve the situation?
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Do you like to try that? Actually I am going to direct Mr. CHAN's attention to the fact that when we resolve ourselves into Committee, there will be opportunities to ask departmental senior officers present, you are asking for details which Miss YEUNG has not really had an opportunity to prepare herself for, so you would care to wait? You can try, Miss YEUNG, but not try too hard. (laughter)
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, actually as you have said, this question should better be taken up in Committee stage. However, I may say in public to Mr. CHAN that our inspectors are being increased continually. I do not have the figures, not the latest figures because every season we have new graduates and as a result of that we can better cope with the incidents in food premises. We hope by further deployment of staff in the hot season, work can