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and the Hawkers and Markets Section of the Urban Services Department. Power of control is also exercised by the Police under the Summary Offences Ordinance, at least where the hawker in question is committing an offence. By arrangement with the Hawker Control Force, the Police generally do not exercise control over licensed hawkers in Hawker Control Force districts. However, the Hawker Control Force has only sufficient men to cover about two-thirds of the main hawker areas in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Elsewhere we rely heavily on the Police to assist the Hawkers and Markets Section of the Department in enforcing the Council's By-laws.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Recently, I was given to understand by the then Chairman of the Urban Council that there was a shortage of Health Inspectors. Is this shortage primarily due to the fact that it is difficult to recruit suitable candidates as Assistant Health Inspectors? Is it also partially due to the fact that the initial salary for an Assistant Health Inspector is not sufficiently attractive? (For example, an Assistant Health Inspector's commencing salary is only $370 as compared to $880 for a Hawker Control Sub-Inspector).
(b) Is it a fact that the morale of the Health Inspectorate is low and there is a definite sense of grievance, partly because the initial salary of an Assistant Health Inspector is even lower than that of a Class II Foreman?
(c) Is it not true that the better grade candidates for Health Inspectors are being absorbed by other Government departments or private firms, and that the Urban Services Department is being often used as a "Transit Camp"?
(d) Since a Hawker Control Sub-Inspector's salary is a minimum of $880 upon appointment, will the Director of Urban Services please state why an Assistant Health Inspector whose starting salary is $370, receives only $680 after three solid years of full-time training, and only upon passing the qualifying examination of the Royal Society of Health?
(e) Will the Director of Urban Services give consideration to having a review of this subject and advising this Council as to what remedial measures are required, or can be taken, so that a solution can be found to overcome the acute shortage of Health Inspectors?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
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(a) The present establishment of the Health Inspectorate is 284 posts. In addition, there are 20 Student Health Inspectors under training. This establishment is considered to be adequate to meet the demands made upon the grade.
I regret that some misconception may have arisen from supplementary questions asked at the meeting of this Council on 1st October. As you know, recruitment for 20 vacancies for Student Health Inspectors was undertaken earlier this year. There were more than 300 applicants for these vacancies, only 69 of whom had the qualifications laid down in the advertisement. Thirteen applicants were considered eminently suitable for appointment; the selection of the remaining 7 candidates for the 20 vacancies required slightly more care, but there was no especial difficulty in filling the posts.
Mr. CHEONG-LEEN refers in his question to the grade of Assistant Health Inspector. This grade has been discontinued, its place being taken by the grade of Student Health Inspector, the title of which makes clear the status of full-time pupilage of those serving in it.
In short, it cannot be said that there is any evident difficulty in recruiting Student Health Inspectors or that the starting salary of $370 a month is insufficient to attract suitable candidates.
(b) I understand that there exists a sense of disappointment among the Health Inspectorate over their salary grading and in particular over the starting point for the post of Student Health Inspector.
(c) There is no evidence that the Urban Services Department is being used as a "transit camp" for other Government departments or private firms. From time to time applications are made by Health Inspectors for transfer to other posts within the Government service with a view to improving their position, but this is common to all departments. Certainly, the number of applications for transfer has given no cause for concern.
(d) The salary scales for all grades in the Government service form a carefully integrated structure. They are decided upon by Government after the most careful thought. The duties and responsibilities of grades are so diverse and the terms of service so varied that comparisons are often extremely difficult to make. In the case of a Hawker
Page 121 of 194
Page 121 of 194
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
and the Hawkers and Markets Section of the Urban Services Department. Power of control is also exercised by the Police under the Summary Offences Ordinance, at least where the hawker in question is committing an offence. By arrangement with the Hawker Control Force, the Police generally do not exercise control over licensed hawkers in Hawker Control Force districts. However, the Hawker Control Force has only sufficient men to cover about two-thirds of the main hawker areas in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Elsewhere we rely heavily on the Police to assist the Hawkers and Markets Section of the Department in enforcing the Council's By-laws.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Recently, I was given to understand by the then Chairman of the Urban Council that there was a shortage of Health Inspectors. Is this shortage primarily due to the fact that it is difficult to recruit suitable candidates as Assistant Health Inspectors? Is it also partially due to the fact that the initial salary for an Assistant Health Inspector is not sufficiently attractive? (For example, an Assistant Health Inspector's commencing salary is only $370 as compared to $880 for a Hawker Control Sub-Inspector). (b) Is it a fact that the morale of the Health Inspectorate is low and there is a definite sense of grievance, partly because the initial salary of an Assistant Health Inspector is even lower than that of a Class II Foreman?
(c) Is it not true that the better grade candidates for Health Inspectors are being absorbed by other Government departments or private firms, and that the Urban Services Department is being often used as a "Transit Camp"? (d) Since a Hawker Control Sub-Inspector's salary is a mini- mum of $880 upon appointment, will the Director of Urban Services please state why an Assistant Health Inspector whose starting salary is $370, receives only $680 after three solid years of full-time training, and only upon passing the qualifying examination of the Royal Society of Health?
(e) Will the Director of Urban Services give consideration to having a review of this subject and advising this Council as to what remedial measures are required, or can be taken, so that a solution can be found to overcome the acute shortage of Health Inspectors?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
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(a) The present establishment of the Health Inspectorate is 284 posts. In addition, there are 20 Student Health Inspectors under training. This establishment is con- sidered to be adequate to meet the demands made upon the grade.
I regret that some misconception may have arisen from supplementary questions asked at the meeting of this Council on 1st October. As you know, recruitment for 20 vacancies for Student Health Inspectors was undertaken earlier this year. There were more than 300 applicants for these vacancies, only 69 of whom had the qualifications laid down in the advertisement. Thirteen applicants were considered eminently suitable for appointment; the selection of the remaining 7 candidates for the 20 vacancies required slightly more care, but there was no especial difficulty in filling the posts.
Mr. CHEONG-LEEN refers in his question to the grade of Assistant Health Inspector. This grade has been dis- continued, its place being taken by the grade of Student Health Inspector, the title of which makes clear the status of full-time pupilage of those serving in it.
In short, it cannot be said that there is any evident difficulty in recruiting Student Health Inspectors or that the starting salary of $370 a month is insufficient to attract suitable candidates.
(b) I understand that there exists a sense of disappointment among the Health Inspectorate over their salary grading and in particular over the starting point for the post of Student Health Inspector.
(c) There is no evidence that the Urban Services Department is being used as a "transit camp" for other Government departments or private firms. From time to time applica- tions are made by Health Inspectors for transfer to other posts within the Government service with a view to improving their position, but this is common to all departments. Certainly, the number of applications for transfer has given no cause for concern.
(d) The salary scales for all grades in the Government service form a carefully integrated structure. They are decided upon by Government after the most careful thought. The duties and responsibilities of grades are so diverse and the terms of service so varied that comparisons are often extremely difficult to make. In the case of a Hawker
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