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-cigarettes
-cigarette lighters
---tissue paper
--sweets and candies including chewing gum
-preserved fruits
-battery cells, and
-pens
Newspaper stalls in UC markets are similarly permitted to sell other items of this nature in addition to the various types of printed materials which I have already mentioned.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):--As far as I understand, previously cigarettes could only be sold at certain specific stalls, but recently these stalls have ceased to exist. So cigarettes are now available for sale at newspaper stalls. When the Council grants a licence to newspaper stalls, they can sell cigarettes, sweets, candies, magazines and newspaper, etc. I am very concerned about the Council's image. Mr. Chairman, you are also the Chairman of the COSH. If newspaper stalls are also allowed to sell cigarettes, does it mean that UC encourages or indirectly encourages people to smoke because they can buy cigarettes from such convenient outlets under the jurisdiction of UC. I really would like to obtain a response from the Council whether this is a policy that should be encouraged?
CHAIRMAN (in English):--Mr. CHAN, can you answer on my behalf?
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese): Actually I was going to ask whether this question should be answered by myself or you. Since you have indicated that I should be the one to answer then I will do it. Regarding the ban of cigarette sale, it is a Central Government's policy. But if the Central Government has made no move in this direction so far, then I do not think the Urban Council should take the initiative to ban the sale of cigarettes because that is not yet the Council's policy. Apart from newspaper stalls selling cigarettes, many other UC outlets are also selling cigarettes like kiosks in sports grounds and other outlets under the jurisdiction of UC where cigarettes can be purchased. It has very wide implication if such policy is being formulated and implemented. I hope that we should leave it to the Chairman of the Council and bring this up at the Standing Committee of the whole Council.
THE CHAIRMAN (in English):--I think Elsie has something to add to this question.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I am going to ask a question as to whether cigarettes must have permission from the Customs and Excise Department to be able to sell. I don't think they get permission from the Council or the Customs and Excise Department.
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CHAIRMAN (in English):--OK, because Elsie as being the convenor of the Working Group on the COSH Bill.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese): I have no supplementary questions. I am going to bring this issue up again at other forums.
THE HON. LI WAH-MING (in Cantonese):--First question. These items can be sold at the newspaper stalls if they get prior permission from the UC, I would like to know whether the USD has sent staff to these newspapers stalls to check whether they have indeed obtained permission to sell the approved items. If they do not have the permission from USD, what are we going to do about these law-breaking newspapers stalls. Also, I would like to know who the RCB or USD is responsible for prosecution if newspapers stalls are selling obscene videos?
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese): I think Mr. LI's question can be broken down into two parts. In July 1990, we amended the regulations to the effect that newspapers stalls could sell additional items. This means that newspapers stalls can sell certain commodities to facilitate members of public. Besides, the selling of these additional items would not cause the stalls to extend or expand their stalls or cause obstruction to the street. Regarding the inspection, actually it has been done every year. For the approved commodities, they are listed in the licences that are granted to the newspapers stalls. In the urban area, there are some 750 licensed stalls. According to the information provided by the Department, approximately 740 odd of such stalls have applied for approval to sell such commodities and so almost all these stalls have already got approval to sell these items. As regards the obscene videos, which are not on the list of approved commodities. If the stalls sell videos, they will be subject to prosecution. Whether these videos are obscene or not, it is not within the jurisdiction of the Urban Council. It is the business of Police and the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority to carry out prosecution.
RESUMPTION OF ANNUAL CONVENTIONAL DEBATE
CHAIRMAN (in English):--Dear Fellow Councillors, it is traditional at this particular meeting that the acceptance of the Statement of Aims. I have listened to and indeed re-read all the speeches made at the Council's annual conventional Debate and note that Members have conveyed a wide variety of topics. Those concerning the Council will be looked at inhouse over the next few months and those concerning other parts of Government have been referred by the Council Secretariat to the Government Secretariat for consideration. I will confine my comments in the main to a few matters concerning the Urban Council which have been highlighted by several Members.
The major topic brought up by Members concerns illegal hawkers, this problem is one which the Council has grappled with for many years. The
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