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MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-My last supplementary question. In paragraph 7, it is said that the RCP will be reprovisioned at the site now occupied by a cooked food bazaar at Shanghai Street/Waterloo Road. My impression is that the RCP is not that large. Can the Council positively identify a site for the construction of an RCP or a loading or unloading bay for the lorries and containers? I think the Yau Ma Tei cinema is also leased on a short term tenancy basis similar to the Fruit Wholesale Market. Can the Yau Ma Tei cinema be considered as an area for a loading/unloading bay?
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):--Thank you Mr. Ip for your proposal. I think the Department will look at that.
MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK (in English):-Since this question appears to fall within the terms of reference of the Land Use Sub-Committee under the Capital Works Select Committee because it affects the government land use affecting the Urban Council RCP locations and operation and environmental conditions. I wonder if the Department can prepare a paper collecting all the background information for a study by the Land Use sub-committee to make a recommendation to the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee to review their policy and to advise the Council in general.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-This is a request rather than a question.
MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK (in English):—I wonder. This is a question.
CHAIRMAN (in English): OK, thank you. The answer is 'yes'.
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in English):---Thank you, Mr. YUEN. I am not very certain about the procedures required to go forward for supporting this suggestion but I think I personally will support that and certainly I would have a word with the authority concerned.
(3) MS. ANNA TANG KING-YUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese):-There are many newspaper stands all over the territory. Mostly they are at busy locations, where they give such convenience to the people but also give rise to a number of problems.
I would like to know:
(1) Are there standardized dimensions for the newspaper stands? (2) Are there restrictions to their business hours?
(3) There are allegations that these newspaper stands are owned by triads and being used for unlawful business at night. How does the Urban Council, as the licensing authority, address this problem?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, this three-part question concerns the licensing and control of fixed pitch newspaper stands.
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The first part asks whether there are standard dimensions for such newspaper stalls. In fact, these stalls are licensed under the Hawker (Urban Council) By-laws as Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) stalls. The standard dimension of these fixed pitch hawker newspapers stalls is 1800mm x 450mm.
The second part of the question asks whether there are restrictions over their business hour and the answer is in the negative. Such hawkers can operate during any hours of their own choosing.
The third part asks how the Urban Council, as the licensing authority, addresses the problem of some newspaper stands owned by the triads who used them for unlawful businesses at night. According to Departmental records, there have been no such complaints, at least as far back into the past as can be traced. However, if any such allegation were to be received, it would be referred to the Police for investigation. Fixed pitch newspaper hawkers are subject to regular inspections by hawker control staff during GDT duty hours. And at night, special operations are often mounted sometimes jointly with the Police, against unlicensed newspaper hawkers, as well as against licensed newspaper hawkers where serious obstruction is being caused by illegal extensions to their stalls. Over the past 12 months, a total of 1286 operations have been conducted resulting in 2931 prosecutions against unlicensed newspaper hawkers and against 952 licensed newspaper hawkers.
MS. ANNA TANG KING-YUNG (in Cantonese):-Thank you Mr. Ip for the answer. I am glad to hear that there has been no triad involvement in licensed newspaper stands. In paragraph 4 of your answer, it is mentioned that special operations are mounted against unlicensed newspaper hawkers. Will they be operating within licensed stalls that are licensed by the Urban Council? Because you told us that there will not be any restrictions on their operation hour i.e. they will be opened around the clock. When licensed hawkers are not operating will the stalls be taken up by unlicensed hawkers?
MR. IP KWOK-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-Thank you Madam TANG for your question. On the prosecution of these hawkers, we have to make sure that the licensees are present during our inspections. If they cannot give us a reasonable reason for their absence, we will take follow-up actions. According to our records, in Hong Kong there are in total 833 newspapers hawkers. Over the past 12 months, we have had some prosecutions against them. If it is found that they have breached the licensing conditions such as selling unauthorised goods we will prosecute them. At night if the stalls are not operated by the licensees, we will treat them as illegal hawkers or unlicensed hawkers. I think that will answer Madam TANG'S questions.
THE HONOURABLE LI WAH-MING (in Cantonese):—I have two questions.
Among the 833 fixed pitches, can we have some statistics on how many of them are in compliance with the standard dimensions?