XN000022-1985-09-10 — Page 12

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1C, 1985

AS REGARDS THE POWER TO REMOVE ADVERTISEMENTS CONSIDERED INJURIOUS TO THE AMENITY OF A LOCALITY, DR CHAM EXPLAINED: IT WAS FOUND IN PRACTICE THAT MANY OF THESE SIGNS WERE OLD AND ILL-MAINTAINED NEON SIGNS WHOSE REMOVAL REQUIRED LEGAL POWERS AND ENGINEERING EXPERTISE NOT AVAILABLE TO THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

+BECAUSE OF THIS, THE COUNCIL AGREED IN PRINCIPLE ON JULY 8, 1985 TO RETURN TO THE GOVERNMENT ALL ITS POWERS TO CONTROL, RESTRICT, OR PERMIT THE ERECTION, OR TO REQUIRE THE REMOVAL OF ANY ADVERTISEMENT.+

DR CHAM RECALLED THAT BACK TO EARLY 1970S THE URBAN COUNCIL, IN AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE VISUAL IMPACT OF ADVERTISEMENTS IN HONG KONG, HAD CONSIDERED THE ADVISABILITY OF AMENDING THE LAW TO GAIN POWERS TO REQUIRE ALL ADVERTISEMENTS TO BE LICENSED AND RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT THAT THIS BE DONE, SUBJECT TO THE GOVERNMENT MEETING THE COSTS OF THE EXERCISE.

HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENT CONFIRMED IN 1977 THAT IT COULD NOT COMMIT RESOURCES TO IMPLEMENT THE COUNCIL'S PROPOSAL.

+AS A RESULT OF THIS IT WAS ENVISAGED THAT THE COST OF ADMINISTERING THE LICENSING SYSTEM WOULD FAR EXCEED REVENUE. THE COUNCIL THEREFORE DECIDED ON OCTOBER 26, 1977 THAT THE LICENSING SCHEME FOR ADVERTISEMENT SIGNS BE DROPPED,+ DR CHAM STATED.

MEASURES TO PROTECT GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS

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THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ARE TAKING MEASURES TO PROTECT MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL DUTIES TEAMS (GDTS) WHO ARE OFTEN ASSAULTED OR THREATENED BY HAWKERS, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL'S MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, MRS ELSIE ELLIOTT TU, SAID AT THE COUNCIL'S OPEN MEETING TODAY.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY MR TONG KAM-BIU, MRS ELLIOTT TU NOTED THAT IN 1984 THERE WERE 90 CASES OF ASSAULT AGAINST GDT MEMBERS, NEARLY ONE QUARTER OF WHICH WERE COMMITTED IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT. THIS FIGURE REPRESENTED A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER IN COMPARISON WITH ITS 10 PER CENT SHARE OF THE HAWKER POPULATION, BOTH LICENSED AND UNLICENSED.

/OF THE