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obscured the role of the Urban Council, so today I should like us to remind ourselves of the many ways in which this Council quietly but surely affects the daily lives of our community.
I remember the days when our Executive arm, the U.S.D., was commonly referred to as the Upside-down Department, and the Council's image suffered accordingly. At that time we were known mainly for dealing with rubbish, and often accused of misdealing with hawkers. Other work performed by the Council was scarcely known.
But the situation has changed entirely in the past ten to twenty years. Our symbol, the bauhinia can now be seen in every corner of the urban area, on libraries, playgrounds, sports grounds, parks, cultural centres, museums, public swimming-pools, markets, bazaars, games halls, refuse collection points and even public toilets. The Council is responsible for the licensing of restaurants, concert halls, theatres, skating-rinks, bathhouses and other places frequented by the public. Our performing companies entertain the public in all urban districts with shows and concerts. The streets are kept clean by daily sweeping and cleansing.
Because all these services have become part of the everyday life of the Hong Kong people, we sometimes need to remind ourselves of all the effort that is put into those services by the staff who carry out our policies in keeping the city clean and looking after its cultural and recreational needs. Our thanks are due to the staff of the U.S.D. as well as those who work directly for the Council in the secretariat.
Today I will limit myself to only one particular aspect of our work, which I am sure you can guess is about hawkers and markets, the bane and also joy of my life on the Council. I expect my colleague, the Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will not mind my taking up this subject, because I shall concentrate on the Working Parties and on the special inter-departmental group set up by the Chief Secretary.
When the Chief Secretary set up the special group in 1987 he specified that he wanted some answers on control problems by the end of that year 1987. We are now entering 1990, and although the Urban Services Department has held a number of meetings with other departments, and produced numerous papers on the subjects of licensing and control of hawkers, there has been delay in making definite decisions because the proposals on our side always have to be considered within the context of the whole Central Government bureaucracy.
The proposals made by our own working party in 1987 have nearly all been implemented, and our policies are under constant review if found to be inadequate or unsatisfactory. The new working group on markets, set up this year or the last year, has begun its work, and I wish to record that its members are both enthusiastic and helpful in suggesting ways of finding solutions to markets problems. I am glad to report that we believe we have found a solution to the Shamshuipo market problem which I hope that the District Board will accept.
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markets problems. I am glad to report that we believe we have found a solution to the Shamshuipo market problem which I hope that the District Board will accept.
So far as control of licensed and unlicensed street hawkers is concerned, I think we have managed to improve some of the blackspots, especially those in the vicinity of new markets. But this progress can only continue within the present limitations we face in staff training and discipline, coupled with lack of pay incentives to attract more disciplined staff. Because of these limitations, the Council and the Department seem to please no one. Hawkers complain that they have no fixed place to operate and are being harassed; the public complains that we are not improving the environment fast or well enough, while our staff complain that their job is dangerous and they are not paid or trained to act as policemen.
At the end of the year 1989, we began to see light at the end of this long tunnel. Proposals have been made both on control and licensing. The Chief Secretary's group has agreed on a plan that seems to be welcomed by our staff, and I believe this will begin to be implemented soon. The Council's Working Party has also proposed licensing measures that should make the task more manageable, and hopefully please at least some of the hawkers.
Without being too optimistic about a problem that has been with us for more than a century, let us hope that vast improvements will be seen at the beginning, rather than the end, of this new decade.
Sir, with these remarks, I support the motion.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in support of the motion before Council.
A lot has been said in recent days on a number of important issues like the right of abode and the number of directly elected seats in the Legco in 1991.
The only point I want to stress is that the great majority of Hong Kong people cannot leave this lovely city before July 1997. To these people, a smooth transfer of administration is of paramount importance. The highest hope of these people is that after finishing work on the 30 June 1997, they will be able to return to work next morning, 1 July 1997 with little or no change whatsoever. We should give our strongest support to those people who are trying their greatest effort to try to make this possible.
Trying to criticize those who make loud and clear statements is not going to be very productive. I can only appeal to the people of status to be calm, and if at all possible, to exercise some restraint.
Hong Kong has gone through a lot of difficult situations and survived all of them with flying colour, I am confident that we will survive this one.
Thank you.
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