1968 — Page 13

Page 13 of 243

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Page 13 of 243

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. R. H. LOBO, ACTING CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-

This question concerns the building of a market in the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Estate. This has been the subject of previous Council questions by Mr. RAFEEK in April and July of last year.

The triangular area between Blocks 3, 4 and 20 of this Estate is at present occupied by a large unofficial hawker bazaar. In February 1967, the Wong Tai Sin Kai Fong Welfare Association made a request for the construction of a market on this site, and the matter was referred to the Markets Select Committee which agreed that a proposal should be put forward for the construction of a multi-storey market in place of the present hawker bazaar. The Select Committee recommended accordingly that an item for this purpose should be included in a suitable category of the Public Works Programme. Subsequent to the meeting of the Public Works Sub-Committee in December 1967 an item was included in Category B of the Public Works Programme for 1968-69.

A schedule of accommodation for the market containing 60 stalls for the sale of meat, fish and poultry, and 550 mini-stalls for the sale of vegetables and fruit was discussed and endorsed by the Markets Select Committee at its meeting on 9th March, 1968, and this has now been forwarded to the Public Works Department.

MR. BERNACCHI:- Is the proposal to erect 550 mini stalls, to make them available to the hawkers already in the unofficial hawker bazaar so as not to cause them to lose their livelihoods?

MR. LOBO:- I believe that is the idea.

DR. BELL:- Mr. Chairman, might I ask what is meant by a mini stall?

MR. LOBO: Mini stalls are smaller than average stalls to absorb hawkers.

DR. BELL: That's not what mini skirts do (laughter) but may be mini stalls do Mr. Chairman. In this connexion is the Hawkers and Markets, or is the Hawkers Select Committee and is the Markets Select Committee satisfied that the size of these mini stalls is in fact sufficient because one of the complaints which hawkers make regarding hawkers bazaars is that the amount of space they are given is insufficient.

MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, does Dr. BELL mean that the size is insufficient for the exposure of their wares in the same way as the mini skirt is intended to do? (Laughter).

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. BERNACCHI:- I think Dr. BELL that the size is intended to be greater than the size that is offered to pedlar hawkers in hawker bazaars. It is intended, therefore, to cater for the legitimate needs of hawkers in that respect.

DR. BELL:- Thank you.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- In this respect, Mr. Chairman, what is the difference between a mini stall and the fixed street stall in terms of width and length?

MR. SALES:- Well I should imagine the same difference between a long gown and a mini skirt. (Laughter).

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, I think Mr. SALES has a more vivid imagination than I have, but could Mr. BERNACCHI answer that?

MR. BERNACCHI:- The size of sites offered to pedlar hawkers in hawker bazaars varies but it is usually 4 by 3. The size of mini stalls I think is 6 by 5, or 6 by 4-I think it's 6 by 5.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Then, Sir, it's really not mini, it's maxi isn't it?

CHAIRMAN:- These are compared with market stalls.

(3) In the absence of MR. HENRY H. L. Hu, MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:

Is it possible to establish a temporary hawker bazaar on vacant land opposite Block 7 of the Wong Tai Sin Estate so that the general and hygienic condition of streets in the said area may be improved?

THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL replied as follows:-

This question concerns the establishment of a hawker bazaar on a piece of vacant land opposite Block 7 of the Wong Tai Sin Resettlement Estate.

An area of land opposite Block 7 has recently been cleared following a fire. This is part of a very much larger area which is scheduled for use as open space. The question of utilizing part of this area as a hawker bazaar is already under consideration and the matter will be referred in the near future to both the Hawkers Select Committee and the Parks, Recreation and Amenities Select Committee.