1972 — Page 56

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Committee to re-examine this proposal perhaps for im plementation when the Council obtains its financial

autonomy.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Will the thought contained in the second paragraph of the reply be followed up by the Chairman of the Select Committee, Mr. Chairman?

MR. SALES: Certainly, with pleasure.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.

(6) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question:-

May the Council be informed when will the hawkers by-laws 1972 be brought into force? If such is to be longer than six months may I know the cause of the delay? If only a minor part of the by-laws suggested by the relevant select committee of the Urban Council requires more serious consideration can the major part be first imple- mented?

MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE HAWKERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:

The final draft of the Revised Hawker By-laws as agreed by the relevant Select Committee is now ready. However, it will be necessary to amend certain sections of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance which have a direct bearing on some basic provisions in the By-laws. These necessary amendments are being urgently drafted. It is planned that the new Hawker By-laws should be brought into force by November this year.

MR. CHAN:-Thank you.

(7) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question:-

May I know what plans are being contemplated in the re-

construction of the Central Market?

MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND ABATTOIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-

I am glad that Mr. CHAN has asked this question because it gives me the opportunity to present a progress report

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since I last answered a similar question raised by Mr. Raymond KAN.

Members will recall that in March in my reply to Mr. KAN I said that a Category B item had been included in the 1972-73 Public Works Programme to permit a full-scale investigation of the redevelopment requirements, not only of Central Market but of the two blocks comprising West- ern Market. This investigation would cover, in addition to the basic siting, architectural and engineering aspects of redevelopment, the question of what facilities other than marketing facilities should be included. Since then, on 20th April, representatives of the various Government departments concerned with the redevelop- ment of Central and Western Markets met to discuss the general principles upon which the reprovisioning should be based. Detailed requirements are now being drawn up by the Urban Services Department and will be for- warded to the Architectural Office of the Public Works Department shortly for preparation of a feasibility study. A report on the progress of the investigation will be submitted to Members as soon as possible.

MR. P. F. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, regarding the last sentence of the reply, may the Council expect this report in six months time?

MR. LOBO:-As soon as possible, I hope so. I will certainly be pressing for some form of report, but this has to go through various departments you will realize. But I am sure that the Chairman of the Urban Council will see to it that you get a satisfactory reply.

MR. BERNACCHI: Mr. Chairman, is the proposal to build other things apart from markets in these two old markets?

MR. LOBO:-The concept of the new markets now is to make the best possible utilization of land and, as far as possible, we would like to see other things included in the building.

MR. BERNACCHI:-In effect, a multi-storey building instead of a two-storey building?

MR. LOBO:-Yes.

(8) MR. R. H. LOBO asked the following question:-

(a) Under what conditions is the supply of water from the various water taps in Government Car Parks given to the car cleaners and drivers for car cleaning purposes?