TNAG-1449-FCO40-1953-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 14

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These tougher penalties, I am sure, will serve to deter reckless people from allowing dangerous fire hazards to exist in buildings, in othe words, playing with fire.

I would like to mention in passing a few points which the Fire Services Department may wish to refer to when putting the proposed amendments into execution.

The Bill extends the definition of the person

responsible for fire hazards to include the owner, tenant, occupier or person in charge of the premises.

We understand that

in Hong Kong the ownership and tenancy of premises in multi-storey

It is quite common that the owner buildings is a complex thing.

of a flat does not reside or operate a business there and hence hardly knows about any fire hazards created by the occupiers or tenants. It will be unfair to hold him solely responsible for any

As far as the serving of fire offences he is not even aware of. hazard abatement notices is concerned, I think that the Fire Services Department staff should exercise due discretion when requiring any person to produce identity proof in order to ensure that they hit the right target.

Regarding the amendment which makes it an offence to leave obstructions in or lock the means of escape, I would suggest that a certain degree of flexibility be allowed in minor cases where remedial actions can be taken immediately in the presence of the Fire Protection Bureau officers, such as the removal of one or two easily movable objects from the corridor.

It should also be mentioned that in the cases where no fire hazard abatement notices are served under the existing Ordinance and practice, prosecution action should not be taken after this Amendment is passed into law.