HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
without protection of food from contamination, and having little regard for the health of the public.
Many of these unlicensed food hawkers are itinerant, operating only at certain periods of the day. Generally, they do not comply with even the most rudimentary requirements of food hygiene. The Urban Council's policy is that such stalls must not be allowed to operate. However, in recent years, enforcement of this policy had not been effective because of insufficient control staff. Although the Police do what they can to help, they have other major problems to take care of, such as combatting crime, narcotics, juvenile delinquency, illegal gambling, etc.
In the urban areas, the number of illegal cooked food hawkers prosecuted by the Hawker Control Force, within the very limited number of areas in which the Force operates, was 200 for the year ending 30th June, 1969. The number of prosecutions taken out by the Police for this same type of offence was 5,587 for the same period. If Police cases in the New Territories are included, the total rises to 12,264. During the recent outbreak of cholera, prosecutions by Hygiene Staff, Hawker Control Force and Police increased considerably. In the first fortnight of July, the quantity of prohibited and restricted food seized by the Hawker Control Force was double that for the whole of June. Police figures show a similar increase.
I am glad to say that approval has just been given for the Urban Services Department to employ additional staff for the more effective enforcement of the Urban Council's hawker policy. That part of the policy which has to do with the preserving of minimum health standards in the sale of cooked food to the public will receive due attention. However, I should point out that it will take some time before the new staff can be properly trained.
I am also grateful to Mr. SALES for this opportunity to emphasize once again the health risks that members of the public run in patronizing illegal cooked food hawkers, particularly since a number of recent cholera cases appeared to have contracted the disease by eating food from roadside hawkers.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, my friend Mr. CHEONG-LEEN refers to unlicensed hawkers operating. Am I right in understanding, Sir, that your Department is the only licensing authority for hawkers in Hong Kong?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: -Strictly the Urban Council is the licensing authority for hawkers in Hong Kong. As far as I know there is no other licensing authority for hawkers. I cannot see how one can have two licensing authorities for the same area.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, I purposely chose the term "your Department" as distinguished from the Urban Council. Can you confirm whether the Director of the Urban Services is the competent authority in this matter?
CHAIRMAN: No, the Urban Council is the competent authority for the issue of hawker licences. The only exception that I have just thought of is marine hawker licences, but I think this is beside what we are trying to talk about now.
MR. SALES: Does the Urban Council exercise its authority through you as the Director of the Urban Services Department?
CHAIRMAN: -The Urban Services Department is the executive arm of the Urban Council and it carries out the policy laid down by the Urban Council.
MR. SALES: Thank you. That leads me to my next question, Mr. Chairman. Am I right in understanding that the Urban Council through its Unofficial Members does not issue licences separately to illegal hawkers?
CHAIRMAN: -I do not quite follow how one can issue licences to illegal hawkers. If they have a licence then they are not illegal.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, you are somewhat new in the field. May I suggest that a hawker may be illegal according to the licensing authority as expressed in the Ordinance, but he may not appear illegal to the police when he is being arrested if he has letters of authority from Members of the Urban Council. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: -I am not quite certain which way the talk is drifting, but, as I see it at the moment, a licensed hawker may at the same time make an illegality, some infringement of his licensing conditions. Other than that, there is no form of legal licence except that issued by the Urban Council within the urban area.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, to cut short this discussion, may I ask that this matter be referred to the Hawker Policy Select Committee so that it may be discussed thoroughly and that there be only one licensing authority as the law has expressly stated, and that the police be requested to observe only the licence of the Urban Council?
CHAIRMAN: -Most certainly. I shall be happy to do so.
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without protection of food from contamination, and having little regard for the health of the public.
Many of these unlicensed food hawkers are itinerant, operat- ing only at certain periods of the day. Generally, they do not comply with even the most rudimentary require- ments of food hygiene. The Urban Council's policy is that such stalls must not be allowed to operate. How- ever, in recent years, enforcement of this policy had not been effective because of insufficient control staff. Al- though the Police do what they can to help, they have other major problems to take care of, such as combatting crime, narcotics, juvenile delinquency, illegal gambling,
etc.
In the urban areas, the number of illegal cooked food hawkers prosecuted by the Hawker Control Force, within the very limited number of areas in which the Force operates, was 200 for the year ending 30th June, 1969. The number of prosecutions taken out by the Police for this same type of offence was 5,587 for the same period. If Police cases in the New Territories are included, the total rises to 12,264. During the recent outbreak of cholera, pros- ecutions by Hygiene Staff, Hawker Control Force and Police increased considerably. In the first fortnight of July, the quantity of prohibited and restricted food seized by the Hawker Control Force was double that for the whole of June. Police figures show a similar increase.
I am glad to say that approval has just been given for the Urban Services Department to employ additional staff for the more effective enforcement of the Urban Council's hawker policy. That part of the policy which has to do with the preserving of minimum health standards in the sale of cooked food to the public will receive due atten- tion. However, I should point out that it will take some time before the new staff can be properly trained.
I am also grateful to Mr. SALES for this opportunity to emphasize once again the health risks that members of the public run in patronizing illegal cooked food hawkers, particularly since a number of recent cholera cases appeared to have contracted the disease by eating food from roadside hawkers.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, my friend Mr. CHEONG-LEEN refers to unlicensed hawkers operating. Am I right in understanding, Sir, that your Department is the only licensing authority for hawkers in Hong Kong?
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CHAIRMAN:-Strictly the Urban Council is the licensing authority for hawkers in Hong Kong. As far as I know there is no other licensing authority for hawkers. I cannot see how one can have two licensing authorities for the same area.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, I purposely chose the term "your Department" as distinguished from the Urban Council. Can you confirm whether the Director of the Urban Services is the competent authority in this matter?
CHAIRMAN: No, the Urban Council is the competent authority for the issue of hawker licences. The only exception that I have just thought of is marine hawker licences, but I think this is beside what we are trying to talk about now.
MR. SALES: Does the Urban Council exercise its authority through you as the Director of the Urban Services Department?
CHAIRMAN:-The Urban Services Department is the executive arm of the Urban Council and it carries out the policy laid down by the Urban Council.
MR. SALES: Thank you. That leads me to my next question, Mr. Chairman. Am I right in understanding that the Urban Council through its Unofficial Members does not issue licences separately to illegal hawkers?
CHAIRMAN:-I do not quite follow how one can issue licences to illegal hawkers. If they have a licence then they are not illegal.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, you are somewhat new in the field. May I suggest that a hawker may be illegal according to the licensing authority as expressed in the Ordinance, but he may not appear illegal to the police when he is being arrested if he has letters of authority from Members of the Urban Council. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: ---I am not quite certain which way the talk is drifting, but, as I see it at the moment, a licensed hawker may at the same time make an illegality, some infringement of his licensing conditions. Other than that, there is no form of legal licence except that issued by the Urban Council within the urban area.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, to cut short this discussion, may I ask that this matter be referred to the Hawker Policy Select Committee so that it may be discussed thoroughly and that there be only one licensing authority as the law has expressly stated, and that the police be requested to observe only the licence of the Urban Council?
CHAIRMAN: -Most certainly. I shall be happy to do so.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.