Reply:
(a)
(b)
21.
what is the total number of cinemas now operating without licence in the territory; why this situation has arisen; where should the victims go for filing compensation claims in the event of an outbreak of fire in these cinemas; and
what is the normal time required for the Government to process cinema licence applications; and whether there is a need to review and improve the procedures for processing such applications?
There are at present five unlicensed cinemas all operating within the Urban Council (UC) areas. The UC have taken prosecution action against the owners of all these cinemas. All these cinema owners have been convicted and fined, ranging from $6,000 to $10,000, plus a daily fine of several hundred dollars. This situation has arisen mainly because the cinema owners are unable to satisfy all the licensing requirements imposed by the licensing authority, which is the Urban Council in the urban area and the Regional Council in the New Territories, prior to opening their doors for business.
In the event of an accident such as a fire, victims could claim legal remedies against the person causing the fire, including the owner of the unlicensed cinemas who would be culpable for operating a place of public entertainment without a valid licence.
Under current licensing procedures, the licensing authority working in conjunction with other departments concerned, including the Buildings Department and the Fire Services Department, would normally complete the initial vetting of an application for a cinema licence and issue to the applicant the licensing requirements within one to two months. The time taken for a licence to be issued would depend very much on the time the applicant successfully complied with all the requirements. Past experience has shown that it would normally take an applicant around nine to fourteen months to fully satisfy with all the licensing requirements.
The licensing authority keeps the licensing procedures under constant review to ensure that applications are dealt with efficiently without compromising any safety or hygiene requirements. The licensing authority will continue to monitor the operation of the licensing procedures and introduce improvements as and when necessary.
End/Wednesday, March 22, 1995