15
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1983
NEED FOR CANTEENS RECOGNISED
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GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING EATING FACILITIES FOR FACTORY WORKERS, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, MR NICKY CHAN, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR CHAN, ANSWERING A QUESTION FROM THE HON WONG LAM, SAID SINCE THE PROBLEMS RELATING TO CANTEENS IN INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WERE REVIEWED IN DETAIL BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL IN 1981, THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING EATING FACILITIES FOR FACTORY WORKERS. IT ALLOWED CANTEENS, SUBJECT TO HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIRMENTS BEING MET AND THERE BEING NO CONFLICT WITH INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS, INCLUDING VEHICULAR ACCESS AND EGRESS AND RELATED LOADING AND UNLOADING FACILITIES,
+THE LICENSING AUTHORITY WILL NORMALLY ISSUE A LICENCE PROVIDED THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE MET,+ MR CHAN SAID.
HE SAID IN SOME CASES CANTEENS WERE NOT PERMITTED UNDER THE LEASE CONDITIONS, BUT THE DIRECTOR OF LANDS WAS NORMALLY PREPARED TO MODIFY THE CONDITIONS TO ACCOMMODATE CANTEENS PROVIDED THE AREA THEY WOULD OCCUPY,
DID NOT EXCEED 10 PER CENT OF THE PREMISES ON THE LOT,
WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR VEHICULAR ACCESS, PARKING, LOADING OR UNLOADING, AND
WAS NOT AT OR NEAR GROUND FLOOR LEVEL WITH EXCLUSIVE DIRECT ACCESS TO THE STREET OTHER THAN FOR EMERGENCY USE.
+THESE RESTRICTIONS WERE NECESSARY PRINCIPALLY TO AVOID INCREASING TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND PARKING PROBLEMS IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS AND BECAUSE CANTEENS WERE ONLY INTENDED TO SERVE WORKERS IN FACTORIES IN THE PARTICULAR BUILDING AND NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC,+ MR CHAN TOLD THE COUNCIL.
BOARD AND COMMITTEE PARTNERSHIP STRESSED
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THE DISTRICT BOARD AND DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ARE PARTNERS IN DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION AND THERE IS NO QUESTION OF ONE BEING SUPERIOR THAN THE OTHER, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DAVID AKERS-JONES, STRESSED IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
+ONE ADVISES WHILE THE OTHER RESPONDS TO THAT ADVICE, HE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY REV. THE HON PATRICK MCGOVERN.
MR AKERS-JONES SAID HE WAS AWARE THAT SOME DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS PERCEIVED THE DMC AS ASSUMING A MORE IMPORTANT POSITION THAN THE DBS IN THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS.
/BUT HE