XN000022-1985-10-17 — Page 16

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1985

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FOOD HYGIENE COMMITTEE WANTS +RED TAPE+ SLASHED

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MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL'S FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE AGREED TODAY THAT URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED TO +CUT THROUGH THE RED TAPE+ AND SPEED UP THE PROCESSING BY THREE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS OF APPLICATIONS FOR RESTAURANT LICENCES.

(AT PRESENT, EVEN IF THE PREMISES ARE SATISFACTORY FROM A HEALTH AND HYGIENE POINT OF VIEW, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT CANNOT ISSUE A RESTAURANT LICENCE UNTIL THE APPLICATION IS CLEARED BY THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE CONCERNING THE SAFETY OF THE BUILDING, AND BY THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT CONCERNING FIRE SAFETY ASPECTS.)

COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN MR WALTER SULKE TODAY CITED STATISTICS SHOWING THAT IN EXTREME CASES, SOME APPLICATIONS MADE ONE OR TWO YEARS AGO WERE STILL PENDING.

+THIS IS FAR TOO LONG, HE ADDED.

AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE USD, DR PATRICK HASE, SAID MANY SUGGESTIONS HAD BEEN STUDIED CLOSELY TO SPEED UP LICENSING EVEN THE POSSIBILITY OF NOT ISSUING LICENCES AT ALL BUT +NONE WAS ACCEPTABLE OR WORKABLE.+

ANOTHER SUGGESTION HAD BEEN FOR THE USD SIMPLY TO ISSUE A LICENCE CONCERNING HEALTH AND HYGIENE, LEAVING THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE AND THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO CARRY OUT THEIR OWN INSPECTIONS INDEPENDENTLY.

BUT THAT, TOO, WOULD HAVE LED TO SERIOUS DELAYS, SINCE THE RESTAURANT STILL WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OPEN WITHOUT THE REMAINING TWO PERMITS QUITE APART FROM THE POSSIBLE RISK TO THE PUBLIC IF THE BUILDING, OR ITS FIRE SAFETY ARRANGEMENTS, WERE UNSAFE.

DR HASE ADDED THAT THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION HAD ALSO SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME TRYING TO HELP THE USD TO STREAMLINE THE SYSTEM. THE SUGGESTED METHOD IN THIS CASE WAS TO PLACE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THREE REQUIREMENTS HEALTH, GENERAL SAFETY AND FIRE SAFETY THE SHOULDERS OF AN AUTHORISED PERSON WHO WOULD HOLD THE REQUISITE QUALIFICATIONS. AND WHO COULD CERTIFY THAT ALL REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN MET.

+

+ THE PROBLEM HERE IS THAT THE AUTHORISED PERSON WOULD HAVE TO BE SOMEBODY WHO COULD BE TRUSTED ABSOLUTELY, SAID DR HASE. +THE DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED SOME WAY TO PROSECUTE A LAZY. INCOMPETENT OR CORRUPT AUTHORISED PERSON. FURTHERMORE, IF THE REQUIREMENTS WERE NOT FULLY MET, THE RESTAURANT WOULD THEN HAVE TO BE CLOSED DOWN THUS DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF THE WHOLE EXERCISE.+

ON

ANOTHER POINT,