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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
While being flexible, there are guidelines to follow. I can cite two examples to prove that the Board is functioning well and with flexibility.
The first example is about a restaurant operating in a group of public estates in East Kowloon. The police objected and convinced Members of the Board that the restaurant was actually an entertainment establishment offering bar girls as escorts and dancing escorts as well. Residents in the vicinity thought it would cause nuisance, so in the end no Liquor License was issued.
The second example has to do with recent complaints from composite buildings about noise and detestable behaviour by drunk persons late at night. Although the Liquor Licensing Board does not have concrete evidence who the nuisance creators are, additional terms have been set out in the licenses for individual liquor selling premises to restrict their operating hours.
Mr. Chairman, the second part of the motion is to step up control of liquor selling establishments. The Urban Council Members representing the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of People's Livelihood endorsed the suggestion. In fact, we welcome continual improvements to the machinery and further control on all establishments selling liquor. We want to stop any nuisance caused to our citizens, not only to people of residential areas.
Mr. Chairman, the Democratic Alliance reiterates our stand on cautiousness in the issue of licenses. We will not put up with the existence of liquor selling entertainment houses in purely residential areas.
As for the reference to Staunton Street and Causeway Bay, I think the matter is not to do with licenses, but the nature of establishments holding licenses. If we decide on overall restriction of liquor licenses issued for residential areas on the basis of isolated cases, I think we are just stoning our feet with pieces of rock. It will have vast implications.
Council Members of the Democratic Alliance will abstain from voting mainly because we do not support unhealthy measures of speculation. I am worried that housing estate residents may not be able to find competitive food establishments for family meals. Passing this motion will definitely compromise the flexibility of the Board. Mr. Chairman, I have so spoken to express the reasons the Democratic Alliance does not support the motion.
Mr. Stanley NG WING-FAI (phonetic):—I have just heard Members of the Democratic Alliance not voting support to the motion. Some Members mentioned about free economy and speculation. Also today, but a little earlier, Mr. Wong Kwok-hing of the Democratic Alliance mentioned about cinema licenses. Cinemas are entertainment establishments. Mr. WONG suggested the issue of provisional licenses and he won the support of Members. He did not mention the aspect of speculation.
In actual fact, I want to state clearly here that in the Hong Kong society of free economy, not all operations of the same nature are run by one capitalist or
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