Page 37 of 110
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The statistics of persons fined for indiscriminate spitting over the past five years are as follows:
(i) Between 1956 and 1958 no action, other than verbal warnings, was taken by the Urban Services Department against persons found spitting. Offenders were, however, liable to arrest by the Police, but no statistics are available of persons charged and fined.
(ii) In August 1959 the "Keep Your City Clean" campaign was launched and, as part of it, action was taken by the department to arrest persons under Section 3(2) of the Summary Offences Ordinance, 1933. During that year 852 persons were arrested and charged for spitting offences.
(iii) In 1960, 1,837 arrests were made by the department. Of this number 808 persons were charged immediately and the remainder were proceeded against by summons.
(iv) Convictions were obtained in almost all cases in 1959 and 1960. Fines varying from $5 to $25 were imposed on about 90% of the offenders. The remaining 10% were cautioned.
Both the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services and I support your suggestions for stronger and more active measures to reduce and, I hope, eventually to eradicate indiscriminate spitting, and I propose that this matter should be referred to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I have a supplementary, Mr. Chairman. In reference to your paragraph (iii), what criterion determines whether a person is arrested and charged immediately or is proceeded against by way of summons? I may be, in fact, asking something on which you cannot give the information at the moment; if so I would be perfectly satisfied to be supplied with the information later.
CHAIRMAN:--I will check on it and give you the information later. But I understand the position is that if we are satisfied about a person's address—that he has given a bona-fide address—action is taken by summons; if there is doubt about the address, the person is charged immediately.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Thank you.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Have you ever been spat on the head while walking in the streets, Mr. Chairman?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
59
CHAIRMAN:-You are introducing new matter, Sir, by means of a supplementary. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-It has happened to me, Mr. Chairman, and it doesn't feel like rain. It is just indiscriminate spittle and that may be one criterion.
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:-
"In view of the increasing numbers of vacant market stalls, due to the pressure of revised high rents, will the Chairman state what measures will be taken to cope with the situation?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"The position with regard to vacant stalls in Markets is as follows:
Prior to the implementation, on 1st April, of Council's scheme for Market Rent Revision, there were 77 vacant stalls. However, 35 of these had been withheld from auction for some months so that alterations may be made shortly to certain Markets. The correct number of vacant stalls was, therefore, 42 and most of these had been vacant for a number of years. After the increase of rentals, 49 more stalls became vacant. At present, therefore, there are 91 stalls vacant out of a total of 2,179 available for auction, i.e. approximately 4% of the total number.
The revenue lost from the 49 stalls which have fallen vacant since the rents were increased is $1,885.10 a month at the old rates or $3,299.00 a month at the new rates. The immediate result of the rent revision scheme has, however, been to increase revenue by approximately $31,650.00 a month.
On the overall picture, the Markets Select Committee are to be congratulated on the initial success of Phase I of their scheme and it is still too early to say that any special measures are required in order to deal with the problem of the stalls which have now fallen vacant.
As a past member of the Markets Select Committee which devised the Rent Revision Scheme, you, Sir, are already aware that provision has been made so that if the rents now charged under Phase I of the Rent Revision Scheme should prove to be a hardship to stallholders, the Select Committee can exercise its right of review."
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Page
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Page 37 of 110
58
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The statistics of persons fined for indiscriminate spitting over
the past five years are as follows:
(i) Between 1956 and 1958 no action, other than verbal warnings, was taken by the Urban Services Depart- ment against persons found spitting. Offenders were, however, liable to arrest by the Police, but no statis- tics are available of persons charged and fined. (ii) In August 1959 the "Keep Your City Clean" cam- paign was launched and, as part of it, action was taken by the department to arrest persons under Section 3(2) of the Summary Offences Ordinance, 1933. During that year 852 persons were arrested and charged for spitting offences.
(iii) In 1960, 1,837 arrests were made by the department. Of this number 808 persons were charged imme- diately and the remainder were proceeded against by summons.
(iv) Convictions were obtained in almost all cases in 1959 and 1960. Fines varying from $5 to $25 were imposed on about 90% of the offenders.
The re- maining 10% were cautioned.
Both the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services and I support your suggestions for stronger and more active measures to reduce and, I hope, eventually to eradicate indiscriminate spitting, and I propose that this matter should be referred to the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee."
MR. BERNACCHI:-I have a supplementary, Mr. Chairman. In reference to your paragraph (iii), what criterion determines whether a person is arrested and charged immediately or is proceeded against by way of summons? I may be, in fact, asking something on which you cannot give the information at the moment; if so I would be perfectly satisfied to be supplied with the information later.
CHAIRMAN:--I will check on it and give you the information later. But I understand the position is that if we are satisfied about a person's address---that he has given a bona-fide address-action is taken by summons; if there is doubt about the address, the person is charged immediately.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Thank you.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Have you ever been spat on the head while walking in the streets, Mr. Chairman?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
59
CHAIRMAN: -You are introducing new matter, Sir, by means of a supplementary. (Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-It has happened to me, Mr. Chairman, and it doesn't feel like rain. It is just indiscriminate spittle and that may
be one criterion.
MR. CHAN SHU-WOON asked the following question:-
"In view of the increasing numbers of vacant market stalls, due to the pressure of revised high rents, will the Chair- man state what measures will be taken to cope with the situation?"
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"The position with regard to vacant stalls in Markets is as
follows:
Prior to the implementation, on 1st April, of Council's scheme for Market Rent Revision, there were 77 vacant stalls. However, 35 of these had been withheld from auction for some months so that alterations may be made shortly to certain Markets. The correct number of vacant stalls was, therefore, 42 and most of these had been vacant for a number of years. After the increase of rentals, 49 more stalls became vacant. At present, therefore, there are 91 stalls vacant out of a total of 2,179 available for auction, i.e. approximately 4% of the total number.
The revenue lost from the 49 stalls which have fallen vacant since the rents were increased is $1,885.10 a month at the old rates or $3,299.00 a month at the new rates. The immediate result of the rent revision scheme has, however, been to increase revenue by approximately $31,650.00 a month.
On the overall picture, the Markets Select Committee are to be congratulated on the initial success of Phase I of their scheme and it is still too early to say that any special measures are required in order to deal with the problem of the stalls which have now fallen vacant.
As a past member of the Markets Select Committee which devised the Rent Revision Scheme, you, Sir, are already aware that provision has been made so that if the rents now charged under Phase I of the Rent Revision Scheme should prove to be a hardship to stallholders, the Select Committee can exercise its right of review.”
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.