XN000022-1979-07-18 — Page 14

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 1979

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REVISED STRUCTURE FOR LAND ADMINISTRATION TO BE PROPOSED

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THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS ON A REVISED STRUCTURE FOR LAND ADMINISTRATION WILL BE MADE LATER IN THE YEAR, THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. GRAHAM BARNES TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON, LYDIA DUNN, MR. BARNES SAID THAT SINCE APRIL, EFFORTS HAD BEEN DIRECTED LARGELY TOWARDS SECURING THE STAFF FOR STRATEGIC LAND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING WITHIN THE SECRETARIAT.

+THERE IS AS YET NO AGREED VIEW ON ANY CHANGES IN THE ORGANISATION OF THE LAND ADMINISTRATION, HE SAID.

MORE COOKED FOOD STALL BAZAARS PLANNED FOR KWUN TONG

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THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO BUILD THREE MORE COOKED FOOD STALL BAZAARS IN KWUN TONG WITHIN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, WHICH WILL MORE THAN DOUBLE THE AREA OF EXISTING COOKED FOOD STALLS IN THE DISTRICT.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, THE HON. JOHN CHAMBERS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR. CHAMBERS SAID THAT AS IN MOST INDUSTRIAL AREAS, LUNCH- TIME CATERING FACILITIES FOR INDUSTRIAL WORKERS IN KWUN TONG WERE FAR FROM ADEQUATE.

+FOR FIRE SAFETY REASONS PUBLIC RESTAURANTS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS, AND THERE ARE COMPARATIVELY FEW NON- INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS IN THESE AREAS,+ HE SAID.

AS FAR AS COOKED FOOD STALLS ARE CONCERNED, MR. CHAMBERS SAID, THE STANDARDS PLANNING PROVISION FOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS IS 0.6 HECTARES FOR EVERY 100,000 WORKERS.

THERE ARE AT PRESENT FIVE MAJOR COOKED FOOD STALL BAZAARS IN THE KWUN TONG INDUSTRIAL AREA, WHICH MADE UP ONLY ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE STANDARD PROVISION, HE SAID.

MR. CHAMBERS SAID THAT UNDER THE EXISTING FOOD BUSINESS BY-LAWS, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR INDUSTRIAL FACTORIES TO PROVIDE CANTEENS ON THEIR PREMISES FOR THEIR OWN WORKERS.

HOWEVER HE POINTED OUT THAT SMALL OR MEDIUM SIZE FACTORIES HAVE FOUND IT UNECONOMICAL TO SET ASIDE SPACE FOR THIS PURPOSE AND IN KWUN TONG THERE ARE ONLY 14 SUCH CANTEENS.

+ IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE MORE FACTORIES TO PROVIDE CATERING FACILITIES FOR THE IR WORKERS THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNCIL ARE AT PRESENT CONSIDERING A PROPOSAL TO CREATE A NEW CLASS OF FACTORY CANTEEN WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE LICENSED, BUT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO LESS STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS THAN ARE APPLIED TO PUBLIC RESTAURANTS- AND UNLIKE THE PRESENT CANTEENS THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO SERVE WORKERS FROM A NUMBER OF NEARBY FACTORIES,+ MR. CHAMBERS SAID.

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