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For the immediate future requests for more control staff both for the Resettlement Department and the Urban Services Department have been made and as a long-term solution within the context of the Council's policy in relation to hawkers the Markets Select Committee, in conjunction with the Resettlement Management Select Committee, has submitted detailed proposals for the building of modular markets to provide for hawkers to supply the needs of each estate. These requests and proposals are now with Government, and it is understood that they are being sympathetically considered.
(Mr. WOO Po-shing arrived at this point).
DR. HUANG—No supplementaries.
MR. BERNACCHI:—Mr. Chairman, I am surprised at the last sentence, or last two sentences in respect to modular markets. I gathered from an earlier meeting that the modular market at Ngau Tau Kok is going up, but in the answer it is understood that these proposals are being sympathetically considered. Which is it? Is it going up, or is it just being sympathetically considered?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:—Mr. Chairman, I think that the Department and the Committee concerned are only trying to be modest.
The one that is going up at Ngau Tau Kok is by way of an experiment, but I am sure that Mr. BERNACCHI does know that there is a much larger plan that has been presented to Government, and it is that larger plan to which reference has been made in the reply.
MR. BERNACCHI:—I see, thank you.
(4) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question:—
(a) May I know the policy regarding the creation of hawker sites?
(b) Can the applicant select his own site and then that particular site be allocated to him if he is qualified?
(c) Whether the site created at the suggestion of the hawker be made available to another hawker who is higher up on the waiting list?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
There are basically 5 types of static hawker sites: Fixed Pitch (All Classes), Fixed Pitch (Tradesman), Fixed Pitch (Newspaper), General Purpose and Cooked Food.
1
No new Fixed Pitch (All Classes) sites are created on-streets in view of the Council's policy on the creation of off-street hawker bazaars; there are currently approximately 700 vacant sites on streets and while it is recognized that these sites are not in lucrative locations it is felt, nevertheless, that the creation of additional on-street sites is undesirable at the moment particularly as there are also many unoccupied or improperly used sites in off-street bazaars. Existing Fixed Pitch (All Classes) sites in desirable locations occasionally fall vacant when the licensee fails to renew his licence or when succession to a licence is not allowed; in the latter case, these sites are placed on a special waiting list for selection by applicants recommended by the Social Welfare Department. Applicants for Fixed Pitch (All Classes) sites are not allowed to select their own sites. However, whenever possible, the hawker liaison staff endeavour to accommodate their requests within the framework of existing procedures.
Fixed Pitch (Tradesman) sites are created at the suggestion of applicants; these sites must, however, be situated in lanes and new sites are referred to the Director of Fire Services and Commissioner of Police for comments in the first instance. If the applicant is already in occupation of the site, it could be allocated to him subject to the site being acceptable to the Departments concerned.
Until very recently Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) sites were created only in front of newly established restaurants, tea houses and cafes on notification by the Licensing Section that an application had been approved for the issue of a restaurant licence. From the results of a recent survey of Newspaper Hawkers in Kowloon which indicated that newspaper sites could feasibly be created in locations other than outside restaurants, tea houses and cafes, the Hawker Management Select Committee recently approved the creation of Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) sites anywhere where it appeared that reasonable business was likely such as outside commercial establishments, large multi-storey apartment buildings, etc. It is anticipated that this will enlarge the scope of choice and reduce the long waiting list for sites.
Under the present policy, new applicants cannot select their own sites; however, if a licensed Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) hawker wishes to give up his existing site due to poor business, he will be issued with a pedlar (newspaper) licence and advised to use this for trading whilst he seeks
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138
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 79 of 241
139
For the immediate future requests for more control staff both for the Resettlement Department and the Urban Services Department have been made and as a long-term solution within the context of the Council's policy in relation to hawkers the Markets Select Committee, in conjunction with the Resettlement Management Select Committee, has submitted detailed proposals for the building of modular markets to provide for hawkers to supply the needs of each estate. These requests and proposals are now with Government, and it is understood that they are being sympathetically considered.
(Mr. WOO Po-shing arrived at this point).
DR. HUANG-No supplementaries.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I am surprised at the last sen- tence, or last two sentences in respect to modular markets. I gathered from an earlier meeting that the modular market at Ngau Tau Kok is going up, but in the answer it is understood that these proposals are being sympathetically considered. Which is it? Is it going up, or is it just being sympathetically considered?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I think that the Department and the Committee concerned are only trying to be modest.
The one that is going up at Ngau Tau Kok is by way of an experiment, but I am sure that Mr. BERNACCHI does know that there is a much larger plan that has been presented to Government, and it is that larger plan to which reference has been made in the reply.
MR. BERNACCHI:--I see, thank you.
(4) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question:-
(a) May I know the policy regarding the creation of hawker
sites?
(b) Can the applicant select his own site and then that particular site be allocated to him if he is qualified?
(c) Whether the site created at the suggestion of the hawker be made available to another hawker who is higher up on the waiting list?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
There are basically 5 types of static hawker sites: Fixed Pitch (All Classes), Fixed Pitch (Tradesman), Fixed Pitch (Newspaper), General Purpose and Cooked Food.
1
No new Fixed Pitch (All Classes) sites are created on-streets in view of the Council's policy on the creation of off- street hawker bazaars; there are currently approximately 700 vacant sites on streets and while it is recognized that these sites are not in lucrative locations it is felt, never- theless, that the creation of additional on-street sites is undesirable at the moment particularly as there are also many unoccupied or improperly used sites in off-street bazaars. Existing Fixed Pitch (All Classes) sites in desir- able locations occasionally fall vacant when the licensee fails to renew his licence or when succession to a licence is not allowed; in the latter case, these sites are placed on a special waiting list for selection by applicants recom- mended by the Social Welfare Department. Applicants for Fixed Pitch (All Classes) sites are not allowed to select their own sites. However, whenever possible, the hawker liaison staff endeavour to accommodate their requests within the framework of existing procedures.
Fixed Pitch (Tradesman) sites are created at the suggestion of applicants; these sites must, however, be situated in lanes and new sites are referred to the Director of Fire Services and Commissioner of Police for comments in the first instance. If the applicant is already in occupation of the site, it could be allocated to him subject to the site being acceptable to the Departments concerned.
Until very recently Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) sites were created only in front of newly established restaurants, tea houses and cafes on notification by the Licensing Section that an application had been approved for the issue of a restaurant licence. From the results of a recent survey of News- paper Hawkers in Kowloon which indicated that news- paper sites could feasibly be created in locations other than outside restaurants, tea houses and cafes, the Hawker Management Select Committee recently approved the creation of Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) sites anywhere where it appeared that reasonable business was likely such as outside commercial establishments, large multi-storey apartment buildings, etc. It is anticipated that this will enlarge the scope of choice and reduce the long waiting list for sites.
Under the present policy, new applicants cannot select their own sites; however, if a licensed Fixed Pitch (Newspaper) hawker wishes to give up his existing site due to poor business, he will be issued with a pedlar (newspaper) licence and advised to use this for trading whilst he seeks
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Private notes are available after approval.