Page 7 of 132
12
Page 7 of 132
13
# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
some preferential treatment for not being arrested because our GD team were trying to avoid troubles and to bring them to the police station. I just wonder what is the answer for my first question.
My second question concerns about the figure given in the reply of the Chairman. According to the Department, it is only approximately 110 foreign hawkers were foreigners doing the hawking business in Hong Kong. But when looking at the figures of arrest and conviction, it is quite significant because we did have 587 prosecution although not quite successful. But when compare to the number of foreign people hawking in Hong Kong, those conviction and arrest are quite high. I just wonder if it is true that the Immigration Department did place some attention to those people being convicted, in average those people must be prosecuted and convicted at least 5 or 6 times per person. I just question whether we have a proper liaison channel with the Immigration Department, or we can recommend to the Chief Secretary that if those people were convicted, may be the Chief Secretary can recommend to the Immigration Department not to grant any visa. So some measures should be taken.
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Concerning the first question raised by Mr. WONG, perhaps I can clarify a little bit. In 1991, altogether 270 foreign hawkers were arrested, and in 1992, 317 hawkers were arrested. So altogether there were 587 foreign hawkers were arrested and among whom 520 were convicted. So only 67 foreign hawkers who were arrested were not convicted. Concerning the other figures, i.e. 303 and 167, these are foreign hawkers who conducted unlicensed hawking within UC leisure grounds. As for the question about whether the GD teams have sufficient training and capability to deal with this problem, I can assure Mr. WONG that we have provided sufficient training to our GD teams, for example, for language skills, we have a foreman or inspector to lead the GD team, so there should not be any language problem. As for charging such foreign hawkers, these are to be conducted by the police in some police stations, so there should not be any problem and Mr. WONG could set his mind at ease.
The second question concerns communication between the Immigration Department and the USD. As I say in my reply we have been maintaining close liaison with the Immigration Department and have provided a lot of information to the Immigration Department for their consideration. But as to whether the Immigration Department will refuse entry to those repeated offenders or impose more severe penalties to these offenders, it is up to the Immigration Department to decide. It is not our responsibility to decide on their behalf.
THE HON. LI WAH-MING (in Cantonese):—Concerning the 587 foreign hawkers who were arrested within 1991 and 1992, I wonder how many of them were repeated offenders? Does Mr. Ip have such figures so that we know the seriousness of the problem?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I am afraid I am not able to answer Mr. LI's question today because I do not have the information at hand. Perhaps I could give Mr. Li a written reply later on.
MR. DANIEL WONG KWOK-TUNG (in Cantonese):—I would like to supplement on my question. as Mr. Ip said there may be preferential treatment for foreign hawkers because in GDT squads they are led by inspectors. And only squads led by inspectors or foremen will prosecute foreign hawkers, but for GDT squads who are not led by inspectors, they will not prosecute foreign hawkers. So perhaps in blackspots, I wonder if we could ask inspectors to lead the GD teams?
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Will you put it in a question form?
MR. DANIEL WONG KWOK-TUNG (in English):—My question is:—Will the Department consider that at the blackspots, an inspector to lead those GD teams which have the special duty of trying to arrest or to prevent those foreign hawkers?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes, we will discuss this question in detail at the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee, but I can assure Mr. WONG that this problem is not that serious. It is because concerning the charging and prosecution of such foreign hawkers they are to be conducted by the police instead of the GDT squads.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Hong Kong is an international city, many foreign visitors like to conduct hawking activities in Hong Kong. We do not want to see any problems caused by such hawking activities. I wonder if the Council could designate a certain area as special districts for hawking activities by foreign hawkers so that if foreign hawkers would like to conduct hawking activities in Hong Kong, we could give them licence to hawk in these areas so that it become an international hawking bazaar and as a result it would become a feature in Hong Kong and we could also put them under control. I wonder if we could consider installing such bazaars?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I think Mr. CHAN's idea is very constructive. I hope that at the coming Markets and Street Traders Select Committee meeting, Mr. Joseph CHAN could raise this suggestion and of course I would also relay Mr. CHAN's suggestion for discussion at the MST Select Committee meetings.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I am not a member of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee. I hope Mr. Ip could relay my message to the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee.
THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):—I wonder when the Immigration Department allows these people to enter Hong Kong, they are treated as tourists. If we allow them to conduct hawking activities, it seems to have adopted a double standard since Hong Kong is a city ruled by law.
Page 7 of 132