Page 240 of 279
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
monses.
The action taken included 19 cases involving the sale of poultry, 44 involving the sale of restricted food, 107 involving obstruction and 75 involving hawking without a licence. The Commandant, Hawker Control Force, is considering ways and means of strengthening the control of hawkers in this area, and has also made contact with hawkers' representatives in the vicinity to see if they can assist in improving conditions.
In conclusion, may I say that I have taken note of the points raised in your question, Sir, and that action will be taken to effect any improvement which is possible. For reasons which I hope I have made clear, I cannot however promise that there will be any dramatic improvement before the Chinese New Year.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, Dr. LEE in his question states as a matter of fact that Nelson Street is "so full of hawkers." In your answer, Sir, stating the number of warnings, charges or summonses, I see that there were 75 involving hawking without a licence which is about one-third of the total number. In other words, there are more summonses, for instance, involving obstruction than for hawking without a licence. Which of you is right? Dr. LEE when he says that there is a large number of illegal hawkers blocking the road, or you, Sir, when, from your figures, there does not seem to be an awful lot of hawkers without a licence?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, your question presumes that every hawker without a licence has been apprehended. I do not think that is the intention of the answer.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, I will put it another way round. Does the Hawker Control Force summons a hawker for obstruction rather than for hawking without a licence?
CHAIRMAN: —I am quite sure that no such question is in the mind of any member of the Hawker Control Force when he goes on duty. If he sees a case where he thinks he must take action, he takes it without any preference as to which kind of law-breaking it is.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, surely that is not an answer to my question? My question was designed to bring out the fact that we license hawkers. We are the body responsible for licensing hawkers. The Hawker Control Force is the executive instrument of this Council, and if unlicensed hawkers are not summonsed for hawking without a licence, if not more drastic action, then why do we issue licences at all, and, I do repeat, does the Hawker Control Force constable take into account, when he sees obstruction, whether it is being caused by licensed or unlicensed hawkers?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
453
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, I should like that matter to be referred to the Hawkers Select Committee, after I have been able to contact the Commandant of the Hawker Control Force.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, referring to paragraph 3 of your reply when you state that there are a further number of pedlar hawkers, are you referring to 469 licensed pedlar hawkers?
CHAIRMAN: Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, I am not entirely sure, but I think it is licensed.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Do you know, Sir, whether during the period referred to in the penultimate paragraph of your reply, the police have also made any arrests for illegal hawking or hawking without a licence? MR. SALES-Sir, on a point of order, may I suggest that these supplementary questions be directed to the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee to answer. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: Perhaps I should rise on a point of clarification, and explain why I am answering the original question by Dr. LEE and not Mr. BERNACCHI. The question does concern hawkers, but it also concerns cleansing and markets, and because of the complicated nature of the question, I thought it better to answer it myself.
MR. SALES: But the supplementaries which concern only hawkers should have been answered by the Chairman of that Select Committee.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Sir, I do not mind which colleague in this Council answers my question, although I did direct the question at the Chairman of the Urban Council.
CHAIRMAN: ---Well, Sir, I regret to inform you that the Chairman of the Urban Council has forgotten your question. (Laughter). Would you be kind enough to repeat it?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Sir, is Mr. SALES to be blamed for that intrusion? (Laughter). My supplementary question, Sir, was, do you have figures concerning the number of illegal hawkers against whom summonses were taken out by the police during the period referred to in the penultimate paragraph of your reply?
CHAIRMAN: ---No, Sir, I do not.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:--Could those figures be furnished to me and also to the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN:-I will enquire from the Commissioner of Police whether those figures are available and if they are, and he is agreeable, I will furnish them.
Page 241 of 279
452
279
Page 240 of 27
Page 240
Page 241
279
Page 240 of 279
L
452
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
monses.
The action taken included 19 cases involving the sale of poultry, 44 involving the sale of restricted food, 107 involving obstruction and 75 involving hawking with- out a licence. The Commandant, Hawker Control Force, is considering ways and means of strengthening the control of hawkers in this area, and has also made contact with hawkers' representatives in the vicinity to see if they can assist in improving conditions.
In conclusion, may I say that I have taken note of the points raised in your question, Sir, and that action will be taken to effect any improvement which is possible. For reasons which I hope I have made clear, I cannot however promise that there will be any dramatic improvement before the Chinese New Year.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, Dr. LEE in his question states as a matter of fact that Nelson Street is "so full of hawkers." In your answer, Sir, stating the number of warnings, charges or summonses, I see that there were 75 involving hawking without a licence which is about one-third of the total number. In other words, there are more summonses, for instance, involving obstruction than for hawking without a licence. Which of you is right? Dr. LEE when he says that there is a large number of illegal hawkers blocking the road, or you, Sir, when, from your figures, there does not seem to be an awful lot of hawkers without a licence?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, your question presumes that every hawker with- out a licence has been apprehended. I do not think that is the intention of the answer.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Perhaps, Mr. Chairman, I will put it another way round.
Does the Hawker Control Force summons a hawker for obstruction rather than for hawking without a licence?
CHAIRMAN: —I am quite sure that no such question is in the mind of any member of the Hawker Control Force when he goes on duty. If he sees a case where he thinks he must take action, he takes it without any preference as to which kind of law-breaking it is.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, surely that is not an answer to my question? My question was designed to bring out the fact that we license hawkers. We are the body responsible for licensing hawkers. The Hawker Control Force is the executive instrument of this Council, and if unlicensed hawkers are not summonsed for hawking without a licence, if not more drastic action, then why do we issue licences at all, and, I do repeat, does the Hawker Control Force constable take into account, when he sees obstruction, whether it is being caused by licensed or unlicensed hawkers?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
453
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, I should like that matter to be referred to the Hawkers Select Committee, after I have been able to contact the Com- mandant of the Hawker Control Force.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, referring to paragraph 3 of your reply when you state that there are a further number of pedlar hawkers, are you referring to 469 licensed pedlar hawkers?
CHAIRMAN:
it is licensed.
Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, I am not entirely sure, but I think
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -Do you know, Sir, whether during the period referred to in the penultimate paragraph of your reply, the police have also made any arrests for illegal hawking or hawking without a licence? MR. SALES-Sir, on a point of order, may I suggest that these supplementary questions be directed to the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee to answer. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: Perhaps I should rise on a point of clarification, and explain why I am answering the original question by Dr. LEE and not Mr. BERNACCHI. The question does concern hawkers, but it also con- cerns cleansing and markets, and because of the complicated nature of the question, I thought it better to answer it myself.
MR. SALES: But the supplementaries which concern only hawkers should have been answered by the Chairman of that Select Committee.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Sir, I do not mind which colleague in this Council answers my question, although I did direct the question at the Chairman of the Urban Council.
CHAIRMAN: ---Well, Sir, I regret to inform you that the Chairman of the Urban Council has forgotten your question. (Laughter). Would you be kind enough to repeat it?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Sir, is Mr. SALES to be blamed for that in- trusion? (Laughter). My supplementary question, Sir, was, do you have figures concerning the number of illegal hawkers against whom summonses were taken out by the police during the period referred to in the penultimate paragraph of your reply?
CHAIRMAN: ---No, Sir, I do not.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:--Could those figures be furnished to me and also to the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN:-I will enquire from the Commissioner of Police whether those figures are available and if they are, and he is agreeable, I will furnish them.
Page 240 of 27
Page 240Page 241
279
Page 241 of 279
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.