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CHAIRMAN:-We shall see what we can do, Mr. BERNACCHI.
MR. SALES: —The Senior Members on the Elected side have asked so many questions that my Friend, poor Mr. SIN, was not given a chance to ask any. He is suffering in silence.
(12) MR. CHARLES C. C. SIN asked the following question:-
I have received complaints from residents living in the Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Estate that squatter huts and illegal hawkers stalls have been erected on lanes in and around estate schools Nos. 1, 2 and 3, thereby causing serious obstruction and deplorable hygienic conditions. Will the Chairman inform this Council why these illegal structures are tolerated and what steps will be taken to improve the situation?
MR. HENRY H. L. HU, CHAIRMAN OF RESETTLEMENT MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
I am aware of the fact that a total of 717 grossly enlarged hawker stalls exist within the limits of the Ngau Tau Kok resettlement estate. Due to the sheer number and the small amount of available space inside the estate, it is also true that a number of them have encroached on ground close to the schools in question. I believe most of them hold pedlar hawker licences issued by the Urban Council.
These conglomerations of unauthorized super-structures over what were originally pedlar hawkers came about partly because there is a lack of proper marketing facilities in the estate, but mainly as a result of the 1967 disturbances which necessitated the diversion of our manpower and efforts to cope with other more urgent problems. It was not until October 1969, when the department was provided with its Tidiness Teams that efforts to contain the situation became possible and effective. The lack of acceptable alternative space to which these hawkers could be resited forced the department to tolerate the unsatisfactory situation for the time being.
The completion of the Urban Services Department market cum hawker bazaar at Chun Wah Road just outside the estate boundary will make available hawker stalls and market stalls. This number is, however, still insufficient to accommodate the present hawker conglomerations. In particular, the market stalls cannot take in more than just a few traders of fresh provisions. The Resettlement Department, working in conjunction with the Architectural Office and Urban Services Department, is now in the process of finalizing plans for the construction of modular markets within Ngau Tau Kok Estate, in accordance with the policy and procedures recently approved by the Urban Council. The plans will involve a series of resiting, and tidying operations of the present hawker areas, and aim to bring all the hawking and marketing activities at Ngau Tau Kok under proper control, through the provision of adequate facilities and giving the whole environment a face-lift. These plans will shortly be submitted to this Council for approval and subsequently to Government for provision of the necessary resources, including additional control manpower. Meanwhile, to prevent the above unsatisfactory situation from further deterioration, any newly erected illegal structures will be demolished immediately by the tidiness teams.
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MR. FORSGATE:-Mr. Chairman, can I ask a supplementary on that one.
These squatters in our resettlement estates are rather allied to the situation of the squatters outside. It would seem to me an ironic situation that people who squat within resettlement estates obtain an implied right of privilege to new premises when these new premises which are going to be built within the estates are made available so can I be assured that they get no such right implied or otherwise?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, I think the Chairman of the Resettlement Management Select Committee made it quite clear that originally they were hawkers, licensed hawkers and they were licensed pedlar hawkers. The situation developed in such a way that to begin with they were carrying two basketfuls of wares moving and then they get static. Then they put a few sticks to hold the awnings above their heads and then they reinforce it with sticks and a structure and then it became a shop. You see plenty of them. I mentioned in my answer to an earlier question, it is a question of lack of a clear policy of this Council on how to control the hawkers whether inside or outside resettlement estates that has created this problem. Now we are landed with it. Now we are trying very hard, to work out a workable policy on which I hope we shall get the support of the whole Council and not just expecting one or two junior officers to carry out something impossible.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman
MR. BERNACCHI :-I, I.
in fact
Page 69 of 242
Page 69 of 242
118
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN:-We shall see what we can do, Mr. BERNACCHI.
MR. SALES: —The Senior Members on the Elected side have asked so many questions that my Friend, poor Mr. SIN, was not given a chance to ask any. He is suffering in silence.
(12) MR. CHARLES C. C. SIN asked the following question:-
-
I have received complaints from residents living in the Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Estate that squatter huts and illegal hawkers stalls have been erected on lanes in and around estate schools Nos. 1, 2 and 3, thereby causing serious obstruction and deplorable hygienic conditions. Will the Chairman inform this Council why these illegal structures are tolerated and what steps will be taken to improve the situation?
MR. HENRY H. L. HU, CHAIRMAN OF RESETTLEMENT MANAGEMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
I am aware of the fact that a total of 717 grossly enlarged hawker stalls exist within the limits of the Ngau Tau Kok resettlement estate. Due to the sheer number and the small amount of available space inside the estate, it is also true that a number of them have encroached on ground close to the schools in question. I believe most of them hold pedlar hawker licences issued by the Urban Council.
These conglomerations of unauthorized super-structures over what were originally pedlar hawkers came about partly because there is a lack of proper marketing facilities in the estate, but mainly as a result of the 1967 disturbances which necessitated the diversion of our manpower and efforts to cope with other more urgent problems. It was not until October 1969, when the department was pro- vided with its Tidiness Teams that efforts to contain the situation became possible and effective. The lack of acceptable alternative space to which these hawkers could be resited forced the department to tolerate the unsatis- factory situation for the time being.
The completion of the Urban Services Department market cum hawker bazaar at Chun Wah Road just outside the estate boundary will make available hawker stalls and market stalls. This number is, however, still insufficient to accommodate the present hawker conglomerations. In
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119
particular, the market stalls cannot take in more than
just a few traders of fresh provisions. The Resettlement Department, working in conjunction with the Architec- tural Office and Urban Services Department, is now in the process of finalizing plans for the construction of modular markets within Ngau Tau Kok Estate, in accord- ance with the policy and procedures recently approved by the Urban Council. The plans will involve a series of resiting, and tidying operations of the present hawker areas, and aim to bring all the hawking and marketing activities at Ngau Tau Kok under proper control, through the provision of adequate facilities and giving the whole environment a face-lift. These plans will shortly be sub- mitted to this Council for approval and subsequently to Government for provision of the necessary resources, including additional control manpower. Meanwhile, to present the above unsatisfactory situation from further deterioration, any newly elected illegal structures will be demolished immediately by the tidiness teams.
MR. FORSGATE:-Mr. Chairman, can I ask a supplementary on that one.
These squatters in our resettlement estates are rather allied to the situation of the squatters outside. It would seem to me an ironic situation that people who squat within resettlement estates obtain an implied right of privilege to new premises when these new premises which are going to be built within the estates are made available so can I be assured that they get no such right implied or otherwise?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Mr. Chairman, I think the Chairman of the Resettlement Management Select Committee made it quite clear that originally they were hawkers, licensed hawkers and they were licensed pedlar hawkers. The situation developed in such a way that to begin with they were carrying two basketfuls of wares moving and then they get static. Then they put a few sticks to hold the awnings above their heads and then they reinforce it with sticks and a structure and then it became a shop. You see plenty of them. I mentioned in my answer to an earlier question, it is a question of lack of a clear policy of this Council on how to control the hawkers whether inside or outside resettlement estates that has created this problem. Now we are landed with it. Now we are trying very hard, to work out a workable policy on which I hope we shall get the support of the whole Council and not just expecting one or two junior officers to carry out something impossible.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman
MR. BERNACCHI :-I, I.
in fact
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