XN000022-1996-05-08 — Page 41

- 20 -

Reply:

Cinemas are required under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance to obtain a licence for operation. The Urban and Regional Councils are the statutory They determine the policy and licensing authorities for their respective areas. procedures for licence applications and ultimately decide whether a licence should be granted. In keeping with the long-established arrangement adopted in respect of questions relating to the two Councils and on the basis of the information supplied to me by the Urban and Regional Services Departments, the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department, I am pleased to provide answers to the questions in the order they are raised.

In respect of the first question, in the past five years from 1991 to 1995, the number of cinemas which had started business before obtaining a licence is 4, 6, 8, 6 and 5 respectively and, in the first four months of 1996, the number is 3, making a total of 32. Of these, five have still not obtained the requisite licence for one or a combination of the following reasons:

Building Department's objection in respect of the suitability of the premises to be used as a cinema;

(a)

(b)

the existence of unauthorised building works;

(c)

(d)

objections to the proposed layout plan of the cinema by Buildings Department, Fire Services Department or Urban Services Department; or

revision of the layout plan by the applicants which necessitates further clearance with Buildings Department and Fire Services Department.

In respect of the second question, the Fire Services Department currently spends an average of 8.3 man hours to process an application for cinema licence. However, no such statistics is kept by the Buildings Department. The processing time of an application by the Fire Services Department and Buildings Department consists of three components, namely the time taken:

(a)

(b)

to assess the suitability of the premises for use as a cinema on fire safety or building safety grounds;

to issue the fire safety or building safety requirements to the applicants through the licensing authority; and

(c)

by the applicant to comply with the requirements.