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Answer:
Mr President,
(a)
(b)
(0)
(d)
as I explained in this Council on 31 January this year, there are a number of legislative and administrative measures to control the erection of overhanging signboards outside buildings. The primary concern of the Government as regards these signboards is public safety. The policy is to ensure that signboards which could pose a threat to public safety (including whether they obstruct rescue or fire-fighting operations) are removed either by the owners themselves or, if necessary, by the Buildings Department, The size of a signboard, including its positioning, and its physical condition are factors to be taken into account;
in 1994, we carefully considered the possibility of introducing a licensing system for overhanging signboards, and concluded that such a system would be resource intensive and costly and would not offer any significant advantage over the existing enforcement arrangements. This conclusion is still valid:
at present, the Buildings Department focuses its efforts on removing signboards that are dangerous or liable to become dangerous, on a district-by-district basis and upon receipt of complaints. Moreover, if the Fire Services Department identifies any signs that obstruct their rescue and fire fighting operations during fire incidents/incidental drills at site, they will report to the Buildings Department for their removal. As regards the risk of vehicles parked on the roads, legal car parking spaces are designated at locations which do not obstruct fire rescue and fighting operations. We will consider whether the existing arrangements need to be improved; and
we would undertake a review of the existing arrangements and the issue of whether an inter-departmental task force should be set up to carry out street inspections on
on a long term basis will form part of our consideration.
End