1969 — Page 198

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

The hawker problem occasions general concern and claims priority of attention, 7 Councillors commenting on it in their speeches. Its importance and magnitude are now widely recognized and the problem itself is being tackled with vigour and determination. Mr. LOBO out- lined very clearly where the emphasis of our new policy lies-namely, on fairness and firmness and we aim to implement our policy with the maximum co-operation and understanding which we can achieve between Government and the people. It hinges not only on effective action on the ground to improve the situation but also (and even more important) adequate maintenance thereafter of good order through effective and reliable control. As Mr. Kenneth Lo very rightly pointed out, the most realistic approach is to tackle the problem area by area, in fact, street by street, replacing chaos by orderliness. It has been gratifying to see the success achieved in Marble Road and Chun Yeung Street which has served to prove the feasibility and acceptability of the new policy. But I should like to echo Mr. Kenneth Lo's observa- tion that we have still very long way to go, and that, unfortunately progress for some little time yet will inevitably be slow. The Depart- ment will try its hardest to speed up this progress, but, in this endeavour, it needs all the help it can get. From the Council, I hope that it can continue to get strong and consistent backing to pursue, steadily, the policy aims now agreed, despite the conflict of interests and controversy which inevitably arise from time to time. From other Departments, the splendid support and co-operation manifested in recent successes in difficult hawker operations. From the hawkers, responsible representation as a basis for communication, consultation and co-operation. From the public, a realistic understanding of the problem and a sense of proportion in adjudicating the fairness of hawker measures so often dictated by a difficult balance of competing interests. All this we aim to achieve, slowly but surely, through our newly formed Hawker Liaison Unit and District Hawker Consultative Committees, as all concerned gain in experience and understanding through working together. At the same time, Hawker Liaison Officers will attempt to amass as much data and information as they can about hawkers in their districts, since, as Mr. Henry Hu pointed out, this is essential for sound planning. In this regard, we have had a certain amount of voluntary help from university students and lecturers interested in sociological studies in the hawker sector, and we are very grateful for this help.

Marble Road and Chun Yeung Street have amply demonstrated how essential it is to provide suitable sites for hawkers bazaars and marketing facilities to meet local demand, as underlined by Mr. FORSGATE. But suitable sites are extremely difficult to find in the densely built-up areas, and I am afraid that, even with all the priority Government is giving to the hawker problem, acute shortage of land might well be a limiting factor on the progress we aspire to make.

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The importance of having a reliable and effective Hawker Control Force to maintain good order once achieved has also been fully brought out. In attempting to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the present Force, one of the basic problems concerns conditions of service and I can assure Members that this important issue, including the provision of quarters for the Force, is being taken up. Mr. Kenneth Lo suggested that effective measures such as confiscation of goods and paraphernalia may well become necessary to ensure that hawkers pay due regard to the law. Is it too much to hope that, as our policy becomes better known, this will result in a greater general under- standing of, and a more realistic approach to the problem by all concerned, particularly the hawkers themselves, who, by persuasion wherever possible but by sterner measures if needs be, may be guided as to where, when, how and what they may hawk, legally and without causing a public nuisance?

With regard to markets, we are very much aware that we are entering a new age in the provision of food-supplies for our community. The increasing importance of frozen meat and poultry for local con- sumption is an important factor to be taken into account in our planning of future markets and the necessary facilities for meeting the more sophisticated needs in the sale of fresh provisions will constitute an important aspect of our future market design.

To solve the pressing problem of hawkers in resettlement estates, whose relatively uncontrolled activities have a very detrimental effect on the management of the estates, various suggestions from the Markets and Resettlement Policy Select Committees regarding the pro- vision of smaller retail markets have been considered. The emphasis is on the early provision of less sophisticated and more easily built markets, and I am glad to mention that, with the help of the Public Works Department, a new design for easily erected market stalls has now been produced. These are basically intended for the sale of vegetables and fruit, but, with certain modifications, they may be converted into suitable market stalls for the sale of fresh provisions. The overall implications of this important design are now under examination, and I hope that a concrete request for the provision of the necessary funds to try this out as a pilot scheme in a resettlement estate can be sent to the Secretariat for consideration in the near future, once the project has been approved by the relevant Select Committees.

Mr. Hu alluded in his speech to the insufficiency of trees in our concrete jungle. I entirely agree. I would like to see a lot more vegetation, particularly along the streets. But this is not as easy as it seems. Many pavements are too narrow, and, where they are wide enough, there may be difficulties with underground cables and other