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PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): If I understand it, Ms. TANG is asking a question on establishments operating without licences. The principles remain. People have to protect themselves and we should not patronize this sort of establishments. From the departmental point of view, is it right not to pay inspections to premises which have not got licences? I think the Department should review the principle. If that is the case, we should make improvement. Meanwhile, from the perspective of the licence, it may be effective in ensuring that every one of these shops gets a licence.
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am confident of Council's handling in this respect. But in the past, some cholera cases were transmitted to Hong Kong from Mainland China. Along the border, there were such cases. In Mainland China, it seems that sometimes they cover up the news of this sort of outbreak. I would like to ask Professor Leung, in the coming summer, what preventive action can be taken and how will we liaise with the Chinese authorities so that we can bring home the message of prevention of cholera? So what further educational efforts will be done among our citizens so that when they go back to Mainland China, they can take certain precautionary measures?
PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): This is a practical question. Maybe I can cite some figures. Last year, according to the Department of Health, there were 30 cases of confirmed cholera. Of these cases, 13 cases involved patients who had gone to other places like Mainland China, India or Bangladesh, which are developing or tropical countries. 17 cases involved people who hadn't gone elsewhere. So we can distinguish between local cases and foreign ones. As for the imported cases, normally speaking, the victims did not suffer from diarrhoea at the border. If the outbreak was that quick, then perhaps he contracted the disease at the place he visited. These are contaminated people. After they have returned to Hong Kong, eventually the outbreaks occur. For these imported cases, it is very hard to do the checking or to identify them at the border. So we still have to rely on personal hygiene, household hygiene, neighbourhood hygiene and official efforts. For imported cases, we should emphasize on personal knowledge and hygiene. When people visit India or other rural areas, they should be careful on consumption of food. We should promote awareness of these four areas.
MOTIONS
(1) PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:
'RESOLVED that the Abattoirs (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994 and the Slaughterhouses (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994 be made under section 77 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
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He said (in English): As Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee, I rise to move the motion standing in my name:
'RESOLVED that the Abattoirs (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994 and the Slaughterhouses (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994 be made under section 77 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
The purpose of the amendment bylaws is to give effect to the revision of two categories of abattoir-related fees. The first bylaw amends Schedule 2 to the Abattoirs (Urban Council) bylaws so that fees for the slaughter of food animals at the Council's Cheung Sha Wan Abattoir will be brought on a par with those to be charged at the privatized Kennedy Town Abattoir from August 1994. The second bylaw amends Schedule 1 to the Slaughterhouses (Urban Council) bylaws so that meat inspection fees charged by the Council to the private operator at the Kennedy Town Abattoir will be brought on a par with those to be charged by the Regional Council from July 1994.
Both amendment bylaws have been approved by the Public Health Select Committee and the Finance Select Committee and ratified by the Standing Committee of the Whole Council. These bylaws are to take effect from 1 July 1994.
It is estimated that these fee revisions will reduce the Council's projected annual deficit (at 1994/95 price level) arising from the slaughter of food animals by $8 million, and in respect of meat inspection by $0.5 million. Even if these fee increases are passed on in full to the consumer, the impact on the retail prices of fresh meat would be minimal.
Mr. Chairman, I beg to move.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE (in English): Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
(2) PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:
'RESOLVED that the Commercial Bathhouses (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, the Food Business (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, the Frozen Confections (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, the Funeral Parlour (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, the Milk (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, the Offensive Trades (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, the Swimming Pools (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994, and the Undertakers of Burials (Urban Council) (Amendment) Bylaw 1994 be made under sections 35, 56, 123, 56, 49, 42 and 92B respectively of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
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