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e.g. cooked food, confectioneries, fruits, etc. As a result, these places are always badly littered and very noisy. In addition, these hawkers cause obstruction to the pedestrians as well as cinema-goers. Could this Council be informed what steps will be taken to end such unhygienic and chaotic situation?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
Operations are regularly mounted with the Police in Kowloon to improve the conditions in various hawker areas, but this can only be done subject to availability of manpower.
In the absence of Hawker Control Force manpower in Kowloon the control of hawkers who ply their trade around the entrances of cinemas and theatres causing obstruction and nuisance comes under the jurisdiction of the Police. Complaints covering specific spots are referred to the Police for necessary action.
DR. HUANG:- Mr. Chairman, I presume even the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee will realize that his answer is not very satisfactory. I wonder if the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee could tell me how long the Hawker Control Force has been established, what is the planned establishment and what is the current force of this Hawker Control Force?
MR. LOBO:- Well, I don't recall the exact date of the establishment of the Hawker Force. Perhaps some other members will know, but the total establishment I think if I am not mistaken at the moment should be 531 officers and men. At the moment we have some 360.
DR. HUANG:- Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee can tell me what is the reason for the loss of personnel of the force?
MR. LOBO:- I believe that one of the reasons is conditions of service which is in the process of being reviewed I think.
DR. HUANG:- Mr. Chairman, is it true that the Hawker Control Force has been in existence for quite a number of years and in all these years even an adequate number of this Force has never been stationed in Kowloon? Isn't it time that we must reconsider the terms of employment of Hawker Control Force so as to attract more people? We know that the Police are very much better paid than the Hawker Control Force and now they are asking for a rise.
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CHAIRMAN:- You are slightly straying from the original question.
MR. LOBO:- I think that is correct. It is true that the conditions are quite different from those of Police but I feel that the Department is putting up a case for improving conditions. But when you mention about the Hawker Control Force being removed from Kowloon, they were withdrawn from Kowloon to Hong Kong, I think sometime in October last year, because of shortage of manpower and we then decided to bring the Force to Hong Kong and leave Kowloon in the hands of the Police.
MR. BERNACCHI:- Mr. Chairman, perhaps with your permission I could add to Mr. LOBO's description that it was originally recommended by this Council that the Hawker Control Force should be established with 2,000. The Colonial Secretariat in their wisdom cut it down to 500 and it was originally recommended that the terms of service should be very much better so as to attract men of a high calibre and I certainly think that this Council should pursue these original recommendations.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN:- Mr. Chairman, I understand that the Hawker Control Force have mobile unit that can be deployed for some special duties. I do not know whether the Chairman of the Management Committee can consider mobilizing some of this manpower to tackle this situation occasionally?
MR. LOBO:- We will look into that.
(4) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
The placing before Council of the revised Hawker By-laws is many months overdue. Can the Chairman advise when will these By-laws be ready? Is a Chinese translation for the benefit of hawkers and hawker associations of the By-laws under preparation?
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER POLICY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
A fourth draft of the Revised Hawker By-laws was received by the Department in mid-July and is now being studied, before it is presented to the Hawker Policy Select Committee for final approval. It is not possible at the present time to indicate when these By-laws will be ready but I can assure Members that the matter is being earnestly pursued.
The question of whether these By-laws will be translated in toto and/or whether a simpler guide in Chinese should
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Page 111 of 242
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e.g. cooked food, confectioneries, fruits, etc. As a result, these places are always badly littered and very noisy. In addition, these hawkers cause obstruction to the pedes- Could this Council be trians as well as cinema-goers. informed what steps will be taken to end such unhygienic and chaotic situation?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
Operations are regularly mounted with the Police in Kowloon to improve the conditions in various hawker areas, but this can only be done subject to availability of manpower.
In the absence of Hawker Control Force manpower in Kow- loon the control of hawkers who ply their trade around the entrances of cinemas and theatres causing obstruction and nuisance comes under the jurisdiction of the Police. Complaints covering specific spots are referred to the Police for necessary action.
DR. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, I presume even the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee will realize that his answer is not very satisfactory. I wonder if the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee could tell me how long the Hawker Control Force has been established, what is the planned establishment and what is the current force of this Hawker Control Force?
MR. LOBO:-Well, I don't recall the exact date of the establish- ment of the Hawker Force. Perhaps some other members will know, but the total establishment I think if I am not mistaken at the moment At the moment we have some 360. should be 531 officers and men. We are losing members at the rate of 5 a day on transferral or resignation.
DR. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, I wonder if the Chairman of the Hawker Management Select Committee can tell me what is the reason of the losing of personnel of the force?
MR. LOBO:-I believe that one of the reasons is conditions of service which is in the process of being reviewed I think.
DR. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, is it true that the Hawker Control Force has been in existence for quite a number of years and in all these years even an adequate number of this Force has never been stationed in Kowloon? Isn't it time that we must reconsider the terms of em- ployment of Hawker Control Force so as to attract more people? We know that the Police are very much better paid than the Hawker Control Force and now they are asking for a rise.
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CHAIRMAN:----You are slightly straying from the original question.
MR. LOBO:-I think that is correct. It is true that the conditions are quite different from those of Police but I feel that the Department is putting up a case for improving conditions. But when you mention about the Hawker Control Force being removed from Kowloon, they were withdrawn from Kowloon to Hong Kong, I think sometime in October last year, because of shortage of manpower and we then de- cided to bring the Force to Hong Kong and leave Kowloon in the hands of the Police.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, perhaps with your permission I could add to Mr. LOBO's description that it was originally recom- mended by this Council that the Hawker Control Force should be established with 2,000. The Colonial Secretariat in their wisdom cut it down to 500 and it was originally recommended that the terms of service should be very much better so as to attract men of a high calibre and I certainly think that this Council should pursue these original recommendations.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, I understand that the Hawker Control Force have mobile unit that can be deployed for some special duties. I do not know whether the Chairman of the Manage- ment Committee can consider mobilizing some of this manpower to tackle this situation occasionally?
MR. LOBO:-We will look into that.
(4) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
The placing before Council of the revised Hawker By-laws is many months overdue. Can the Chairman advise when will these By-laws be ready? Is a Chinese translation for the benefit of hawkers and hawker associations of the By-laws under preparation?
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKER POLICY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
A fourth draft of the Revised Hawker By-laws was received by the Department in mid-July and is now being studied, before it is presented to the Hawker Policy Select Com- mittee for final approval. It is not possible at the present time to indicate when these By-laws will be ready but I can assure Members that the matter is being earnestly pursued.
The question of whether these By-laws will be translated in toto and/or whether a simpler guide in Chinese should
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