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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-The reasons are manifold, and I would request again, Mr. Chairman, that the Secretary send the relevant papers to Mr. Hu for his study.
MR. HU:-I will not further press Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. I would think that sort of thing better be published.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, a statement was issued to the press giving some information in that respect, and I hope it was also sent to Mr. Hu.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, in the older "Tingle" Plan, there was a proposed means of licensing the unlicensed hawkers that were in fact peddling in our streets. As a supplementary to this question, does the Hawker Policy Select Committee contemplate similar action, or has it given up all thought of licensing the actual unlicensed hawkers that are in our streets?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, first of all the older "Tingle" Plan is out-of-date. There is now standing the new "Alexander" Plan. Secondly, I believe that there have been a number of policy decisions which took place while Mr. BERNACCHI was away on wedded bliss, and we are certainly considering very carefully what he has implied in the supplementary question--how to deal with the licensed or unlicensed pedlar hawkers who are in the streets, and I do think that this matter could best be answered if the papers which refer to the subject could be forwarded to Mr. BERNACCHI. I am referring to papers which have to do with policy, not with management.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, may I, at the risk of being ruled out of order, ask a supplementary question? May I ask the Chairman of the Policy Committee if it is a fact that, after considering certain facts submitted by the department, showing quite a number of illegal unlicensed hawkers still hawking, the purpose for introducing a D-day for not issuing further licences was considered a means of encouraging those unlicensed hawkers to get their licences, and is it also true that during the last few months before 1st June, applications for pedlar hawker licences increased tremendously? Can the Chairman of the Policy Committee confirm that such information has been supplied to the Committee?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I am not too sure as to the tremendous increase in the number of applications for new licences, but I do think that one of the reasons why it was decided to stop, for the time being, the issuance of new pedlar licences commencing June 1st this year, was to enable the department firstly to complete its survey, to give an opportunity to assess the results of its findings, and to put that information before the Policy and Management Select Committees to decide what are the implications in terms of future policy. I think that Mr. CHAN, as a member of the Policy Select Committee, is as much aware of this as I am, and I do believe that within the next 3 months all this information will be collated and will be made available to the Policy and Management Select Committees, as well as to any other Members of this Council who are interested in the subject.
CHAIRMAN:-I can confirm, in fact, Mr. BERNACCHI, that many thousands of hawkers have applied for and obtained licences.
(10) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:
I understand the Urban Services Department tried its best to eliminate the breeding of mosquitoes in Hong Kong. I would like to know what measures have we taken to combat against the breeding of rats in Hong Kong? I have received various complaints concerning the frequency of rats in the multi-storey building.
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Mr. Chairman, measures taken by the Urban Services Department to combat the breeding of rats and mice in Hong Kong include the regular daily use of both rodenticides and traps, supplemented by advice on the means of prevention to complainants and occupiers of premises found to be infested. These control measures, which are free of charge, are carried out both in response to requests and when surveys show premises to be infested. In addition, over 1,300 rat-bins are maintained in thoroughfares throughout the Urban Area, providing the public with a convenient and hygienic means of disposal for dead rodents, many of which (4,673 to be exact for the month of May) are then subjected to examination for signs of plague. I am very pleased to be able to say that there have been no such signs for over 40 years.
As appears in the Council's Publicity Report for May, 1,703 rodents were collected after use of poison, 4,850 were trapped, and 19,560 were collected from public rat-bins. Rodents destroyed during the year ended 31st March included 17,987 collected after poisoning, 55,140 trapped, and 249,932 collected from public rat-bins.
Full details of rodent control activities, including statistics, are published in Annual Departmental Reports.
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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-The reasons are manifold, and I would request again, Mr. Chairman, that the Secretary send the relevant papers to Mr. Hu for his study.
MR. HU-I will not further press Mr. CHEONG-LEEN. I would think that sort of thing better be published.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, a statement was issued to the press giving some information in that respect, and I hope it was also sent to Mr. Hu.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, in the older "Tingle" Plan, there was a proposed means of licensing the unlicensed hawkers that were in fact peddling in our streets. As a supplementary to this question, does the Hawker Policy Select Committee contemplate similar action, or has it given up all thought of licensing the actual unlicensed hawkers that are in our streets?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, first of all the older "Tingle" Plan is out-of-date. There is now standing the new "Alexander" Plan. Secondly, I believe that there have been a number of policy decisions which took place while Mr. BERNACCHI was away on wedded bliss, and we are certainly considering very carefully what he has implied in the supplementary question--how to deal with the licensed or unlicensed pedlar hawkers who are in the streets, and I do think that this matter could best be answered if the papers which refer to the subject could be forwarded to Mr. BERNACCHI. I am referring to papers which have to do with policy, not with management.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, may 1, at the risk of being ruled out of order, ask a supplementary question? May I ask the Chairman of the Policy Committee if it is a fact that, after considering certain facts submitted by the department, showing quite a number of illegal unlicensed hawkers still hawking, the purpose for introducing a D-day for not issuing further licences was considered a means of encouraging those unlicensed hawkers to get their licences, and is it also true that during the last few months before 1st June, applications for pedlar hawker licences increased tremendously? Can the Chairman of the Policy Committee confirm that such information has been supplied to the Committee?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: ----Mr. Chairman, I am not too sure as to the tremendous increase in the number of applications for new licences, but I do think that one of the reasons why it was decided to stop, for the time being, the issuance of new pedlar licences commencing June 1st this year, was to enable the department firstly to complete its survey, to give an opportunity to assess the results of its findings, and to put that information before the Policy and Management Select Com-
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mittees to decide what are the implications in terms of future policy. I think that Mr. CHAN, as a member of the Policy Select Committee, is as much aware of this as I am, and I do believe that within the next 3 months all this information will be collated and will be made available to the Policy and Management Select Committees, as well as to any other Members of this Council who are interested in the subject.
CHAIRMAN:-I can confirm, in fact, Mr. BERNACCHI, that many thousands of hawkers have applied for and obtained licences.
(10) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:
I understand the Urban Services Department tried its best to eliminate the breeding of mosquitoes in Hong Kong. I would like to know what measures have we taken to com- bat against the breeding of rats in Hong Kong? I have received various complaints concerning the frequency of rats in the multi-storey building.
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Mr. Chairman, measures taken by the Urban Services Depart- ment to combat the breeding of rats and mice in Hong Kong include the regular daily use of both rodenticides and traps, supplemented by advice on the means of pre- vention to complainants and occupiers of premises found to be infested. These control measures, which are free of charge, are carried out both in response to requests and when surveys show premises to be infested. In addition, over 1,300 rat-bins are maintained in thoroughfares throughout the Urban Area, providing the public with a convenient and hygienic means of disposal for dead rodents, many of which (4,673 to be exact for the month of May) are then subjected to examination for signs of plague. I am very pleased to be able to say that there have been no such signs for over 40 years.
As appears in the Council's Publicity Report for May, 1,703 rodents were collected after use of poison, 4,850 were trapped, and 19,560 were collected from public rat-bins. Rodents destroyed during the year ended 31st March included 17,987 collected after poisoning, 55,140 trapped, and 249,932 collected from public rat-bins.
Full details of rodent control activities, including statistics, are
published in Annual Departmental Reports.
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