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tours to museums for members of the centres. However Newsletters and Poster generally are also sent to the centres on a regular basis.
Nevertheless, the Council's major efforts for the community centres are in the form of cultural and entertainment programmes. During the previous years, over 100 programmes have been organized in the 19 community centres throughout the urban area. These programmes are organized on a joint presentation basis, either with the District Boards or local groups, and take place on average about 4 times per month.
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It is correct that By-law 12(1) of the Hawker (Urban Council) By-laws does allow licensees of fixed pitch hawker stalls to employ such number of assistants as he thinks necessary for the purpose of enabling him to carry on his business but no such assistant is to engage in hawking except during justifiable absences of the licensee. The present legislation is meant to make sure that the hawking business is actually run by the licensees themselves, to avoid as far as possible intentional sub-letting of the hawker stalls and to discourage criminal intimidation of licensees. The proposal by Mr. BERNACCHI to change the present legislation whereby a proven close relative of the licensee, registered as an assistant, could hawk even in the unrestricted absence of the licensee requires a change of the Urban Council hawker policy. I would suggest therefore to follow up by putting this particular point to the Working Party to Review Hawker and Related Policies for full consideration by its Members.
On the second part of the question, the answer is 'yes'. With the opening of the new Art and Science Museums and the commissioning of new permanent exhibitions for the Space and History Museums in the coming two years, it is anticipated that many more activities will become available and participation by local groups from community centres could be organized and arranged, in the form of classes, workshops and seminars at the various museums.
Similarly, with a view to being able to offer even better cultural and entertainment programmes, the Department is in the process of identifying a few better equipped community centres to supplement the Council's own Community Arts Centres, so that a more substantial regional cultural programme can be provided for urban residents.
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. BERNACCHI for his reply because the main thrust of my question was for the Select Committee and the Department to identify those larger community centres where cultural extension activities could be organized since I suspect that most of the programmes so far have tended to be on the entertainment side and I thank Mr. BERNACCHI for his reply. So my supplementary is: Could the Department get on with the job and report back to the Committee as soon as possible?
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Mr. Chairman, the answer is yes.
4. MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question (in English):—I gather that licensees of fixed pitch hawker stalls are allowed to employ one or more assistant although by By-laws 12(1) of the Hawker (Urban Council) By-laws, Cap. 132, no such assistant is to engage in hawking during the absence (other than absence for reasonable cause) of the licensee. Remembering that many fixed pitch hawkers licensees are either elderly or married women with children, can the Urban Council consider a change in these By-laws whereby a proved close relative of the licensed hawker can be registered as an assistant, and thereafter hawk even in the absence of the licensee himself or herself?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—Mr. Chairman, the question asks if the Urban Council could consider a change to By-law 12(1) of the Hawker (Urban Council) By-laws, Cap. 132 whereby a proven close relative of the licensed hawker could be registered as an assistant and thereafter hawk even in the absence of the licensee himself.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):--Mr. Chairman, there is one supplementary. Has the Working Party met recently and is it likely to meet in the near future?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, it hasn't met recently, but I suspect that in the light of the answer which I have given, it will have to meet soon.
5. MR. MAN SAI-CHEONG asked the following question on behalf of MR. CHOW WAI-KEUNG (in English):-The operation of the food factory (pig roasting) in Smithfield Road, Western District has been banned by the Court for causing pollution to the nearby areas. However, I have received complaints that roasting preparatory work is still going on there before the pigs are sent for roasting elsewhere. May I be told:
(i) Is there any illegal alteration in that factory?
(ii) Is the work carried out at the food factory (pig roasting) violating the licensing requirements of the Council?
(iii) In the view of the Council, is the food factory (pig roasting) in operation? If it is, is it covered by the appropriate type of licence?
(iv) According to the Council's existing policy, will the food factory operator be still eligible for automatic renewal of licence in spite of the present way of operation? Will this continue to be the case in future?
(v) Will the Council consider whether there are any loopholes in this policy (i.e. automatic renewal of licence)? Will this policy be reviewed in detail?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):----Mr. Chairman, the question is in five parts. The answers to each part is given separately below:
(i) The first part of the question asks whether there is any illegal alteration in that factory.
The answer is that there is illegal alteration to the approved layout of the premises. It was discovered by USD staff on 23 March 1988 that the
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