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of fact, when I first went into the market I was asked if I wanted to buy one. (Laughter). Anyway, the birds were fouling the market.
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, that is the longest question I have ever had.
(Laughter).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I express the hope that the turkey succeeded in escaping altogether. (Laughter).
MR. WILFRED WONG:-May I answer this long question with two short statements? First, as Chairman of the Markets Select Committee, I will explore the modern method of washing the floors of the market and at the same time keep them dry. (Laughter). Secondly, I will see that instructions are given to the market staff to watch out for wandering turkeys in the future. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: -And also wandering Urban Councillors!
(Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, on a question of clarification, around next Christmas time, which will have the preference-the turkey, or the Urban Councillor?
(2) Dr. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:-
How many stall-holders are there in the Yau Ma Tei Market? Why is it necessary to have so many bicycles parked on the pavements of Battery Street, Pak Hoi Street and even the yard of the market? Are there any Health Inspector in charge of the market? Why does he permit the pavements to be obstructed by a multitude of bicycles and innumerable baskets to the intolerable disadvantage of the public who want to use these pavements?
MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
There are 175 stallholders in the market.
Apart from selling to shoppers who go to markets personally to make their purchases, stallholders do a considerable volume of business with concerns such as restaurants which buy in larger quantities. Deliveries are most conveniently made by bicycle. No parking facilities for vehicles were provided at Yau Ma Tei Market when it was built, and it is therefore necessary to set aside the yard as a bicycle park. Almost every stall nowadays owns a bicycle and some even two. The yard is not big enough to accommodate all the bicycles, and I understand that the Police prefer the overflow to be parked together in Pak Hoi Street and also on the pavement of Battery Street rather than scattered all over the streets around the market.
There is one Health Inspector in supervisory charge of all Kowloon markets, assisted by three Overseers and four Foremen.
I have explained how bicycles, which are part of the method of operating a market nowadays, come to be obstructing the pavements at certain places. As regards baskets which cause obstruction, these are probably poultry baskets awaiting removal by dealers and, secondly, baskets discarded by hawkers and stallholders waiting to be removed by the Cleansing Division. There is a considerable turnover in both types, but there are always some to be seen, and at festival times the accumulation may be considerable.
DR. LEE: Mr. Chairman, in view of the fact that I have drawn your attention to the existence of bicycles using the pavements in the neighbourhood of the markets, I wonder whether you would be good enough to think of some way of parking these bicycles like they do in the United Kingdom. In Oxford and Cambridge, for example, where there are more bicycles than there are motor cars in Hong Kong. I think there is this one solution. Another point, I notice in the neighbourhood of the markets, there is some double parking of lorries and vehicles. Would you draw the attention of the proper authority to this, because if an ordinary member of the public wants to utilize the market he has no chance of parking there. First of all he or she is blocked by double parking of lorries and motor cars, and then the pavements are absolutely blocked with bicycles. I would be pleased if you could draw the attention of whoever is the authority, to this point. Regarding the baskets, I can assure you that they were not poultry baskets. I examined them myself, and I would be most grateful if you would ask the inspector concerned to go into this question more thoroughly.
MR. SALES-Sir, may I ask whether Standing Orders have been revised concerning supplementary questions, in favour of Dr. LEE exclusively?
DR. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, I think I am fair in saying I do not abuse Standing Orders.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, may I mention the Standing Orders and Procedures Select Committee will be meeting on Friday, and there we can entertain suggestions for amending Standing Orders to allow provision for turkey talk. (Laughter).
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of fact, when I first went into the market I was asked if I wanted to buy one. (Laughter). Anyway, the birds were fouling the market.
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, that is the longest question I have ever had.
(Laughter).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I express the hope that the turkey succeeded in escaping altogether. (Laughter).
MR. WILFRED WONG:-May I answer this long question with two short statements? First, as Chairman of the Markets Select Committee, I will explore the modern method of washing the floors of the market and at the same time keep them dry. (Laughter). Secondly, I will see that instructions are given to the market staff to watch out for wandering turkeys in the future. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: -And also wandering Urban Councillors!
(Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, on a question of clarification, around next Christmas time, which will have the preference-the turkey, or the Urban Councillor?
(2) Dr. R. H. S. LEE asked the following question:-
How many stall-holders are there in the Yau Ma Tei Market? Why is it necessary to have so many bicycles parked on the pavements of Battery Street, Pak Hoi Street and even the yard of the market? Are there any Health Inspector in charge of the market? Why does he permit the pave- ments to be obstructed by a multitude of bicycles and innumerable baskets to the intolerable disadvantage of the public who want to use these pavements?
MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows: -
There are 175 stallholders in the market.
Apart from selling to shoppers who go to markets personally to make their purchases, stallholders do a considerable volume of business with concerns such as restaurants which buy in larger quantities. Deliveries are most con- veniently made by bicycle. No parking facilities for vehicles were provided at Yau Ma Tei Market when it was built, and it is therefore necessary to set aside the yard as a bicycle park. Almost every stall nowadays owns a bicycle and some even two. The yard is not big enough to accommodate all the bicycles, and I understand
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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that the Police prefer the overflow to be parked together in Pak Hoi Street and also on the pavement of Battery Street rather than scattered all over the streets around the market.
There is one Health Inspector in supervisory charge of all Kowloon markets, assisted by threc Overseers and four Foremen.
I have explained how bicycles, which are part of the method of operating a market nowadays, come to be obstructing the pavements at certain places. As regards baskets which cause obstruction, these are probably poultry baskets awaiting removal by dealers and, secondly, baskets discarded by hawkers and stallholders waiting to be re- moved by the Cleansing Division. There is a considerable turnover in both types, but there are always some to be seen, and at festival times the accumulation may be con- siderable.
DR. LEE: Mr. Chairman, in view of the fact that I have drawn your attention to the existence of bicycles using the pavements in the neighbourhood of the markets, I wonder whether you would be good enough to think of some way of parking these bicycles like they do in the United Kingdom. In Oxford and Cambridge, for example, where there are more bicycles than there are motor cars in Hong Kong. I think there is this one solution. Another point, I notice in the neighbour- hood of the markets, there is some double parking of lorries and vehicles. Would you draw the attention of the proper authority to this, because if an ordinary member of the public wants to utilize the market he has no chance of parking there. First of all he or she is blocked by double parking of lorries and motor cars, and then the pavements are absolutely blocked with bicycles. I would be pleased if you could draw the attention of whoever is the authority, to this point. Regarding the baskets, I can assure you that they were not poultry baskets. I examined them myself, and I would be most grateful if you would ask the inspector concerned to go into this question more thoroughly.
MR. SALES-Sir, may I ask whether Standing Orders have been revised concerning supplementary questions, in favour of Dr. LEE ex- clusively?
DR. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, I think I am fair in saying I do not abuse Standing Orders.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, may I mention the Standing Orders and Procedures Select Committee will be meeting on Friday, and there we can entertain suggestions for amending Standing Orders to allow provision for turkey talk. (Laughter).
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.