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but could the Council as a Council, and I am addressing this perhaps to yourself, Mr. Chairman, strongly represent to the relevant Police authorities that four years is a long time indeed to permit this particular hawker to be illegally hawking in the same area?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-As the supplementary was specifically addressed to the Chairman of the Council, I will assure Mr. BERNACCHI that the relevant part of today's report of proceedings will be transcribed and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, subject to the agreement of the Chairman of the Select Committee.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-I entirely agree with you, Mr. Chairman, and also further add that in the next Select Committee meeting we will raise this point with the Assistant Commissioner of Police.
MR. PETER P. K. NG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, can Mr. Hu explain to us the difference between the so-called General Duties Teams and the Hawker Control Force? Are they intended to be a super Hawker Control Force?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The supplementary question is not involved in the original question. Now, the Hawker Control Force operates on the Island, and the General Duties Teams will operate in the Kowloon Peninsula. If you want additional information, I am sure Mr. Hu will be glad to give it to you.
MR. PETER P. K. NG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, this is quite relevant to the original question, because I would just like to raise on a point of clarification concerning his answer on the General Duties Teams, I was wondering if it is just the creation of another super Hawker Control Force in Kowloon-better than the one in Hong Kong?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-One moment. It isn't. Nevertheless, as Mr. Hu is straining at the leash, I would be more than delighted to let him answer your supplementary question.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-I understand, Mr. Chairman, you did allow Mr. NG's question, and I think for the public interest I should answer his question. You know that the Hawker Control Force has already been doing good work. We, the Hawkers Select Committee, did visit around Hong Kong Island where the Hawker Control Force is operating. We found they did do a good job. If you want to satisfy yourselves, you can go to the Vehicular Ferry Concourse. There are now no more hawkers there, and this is due,
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in my view, to the good work of Hawker Control Force. But nevertheless, we are lacking manpower in the Hawker Control Force, and I have said in an earlier meeting that their pay cannot compare with other disciplinary forces, such as the Police or even Fire Services so we are lacking in personnel. At the moment, we have personnel, only about 350 Hawker Control Force of all ranks, or about 20 per cent less than last year, so we have concentrated the Hawker Control Force in Hong Kong Island to perform their duties which, I have said are very satisfactory. On the Kowloon side, as I have said in answer to the question, since 1970 the Hawker Control Force withdrew from the Kowloon side, so to back up this position, we proposed to set up four General Duties Teams to perform more or less the function of Hawker Control Force. They will not be above the Hawker Control Force or below the Hawker Control Force, and it is not the same character of Hawker Control Force. But they would perform much the same function, and we will see which is better serving the community. If the General Duties Teams would serve the community better, then we will expand the General Duties Teams to Hong Kong side as well, but it is too early now to say. We will set up these four Teams in next April or May and after one year, we will see how they have performed. That is the present position.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I thank Mr. Hu. That was an excellent answer. There is now no doubt that the Kowloon members of the Council are not taking advantage of their position to have better service in Kowloon. So the matter rests there.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I should like to ask a supplementary in case the press should have any misunderstanding. The answers given on questions 5 and 6 relate to ordinary unlicensed hawkers, but my questions did not relate to ordinary unlicensed hawkers. They related to those who are not only unlicensed themselves but who intimidate licensed hawkers. I hope that the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee is quite clear on the import of my questions.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English): -Yes, I am clear from Mrs. ELLIOTT's question. I think it is not only the concern of Hawkers Select Committee. It should be the concern generally of the whole committee. We certainly will look this matter further. I think this matter can only be solved with the full co-operation and assistance of the Police Force.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): --Mr. Chairman, I feel that the question of hawking is quite an important one. I would like to know
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but could the Council as a Council, and I am addressing this perhaps to yourself, Mr. Chairman, strongly represent to the relevant Police authorities that four years is a long time indeed to permit this partic- ular hawker to be illegally hawking in the same area?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-As the supplementary was specifically addressed to the Chairman of the Council, I will assure Mr. BERNACCHI that the relevant part of todays' report of proceedings will be transcribed and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, subject to the agreement of the Chairman of the Select Committee.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-I entirely agree with you, Mr. Chairman, and also further add that in the next Select Committee meet- ing we will raise this point with the Assistant Commissioner of Police.
MR. PETER P. K. NG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, can Mr. Hu explain to us the difference between the so-called General Duties Teams and the Hawker Control Force? Are they intended to be a super Hawker Control Force?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-The supplementary question is not involved in the original question. Now, the Hawker Control Force operates on the Island, and the General Duties Teams will operate in the Kowloon Peninsula. If you want additional information, I am sure Mr. Hu will be glad to give it to you.
MR. PETER P. K. NG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, this is quite relevant to the original question, because I would just like to raise on a point of clarification concerning his answer on the General Duties Teams, I was wondering if it is just the creation of another super Hawker Control Force in Kowloon-better than the one in Hong Kong?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-One moment. It isn't. Nevertheless, as Mr. Hu is straining at the leash, I would be more than delighted to let him answer your supplementary question.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):-I understand, Mr. Chairman, you did allow Mr. NG's question, and I think for the public interest I should answer his question. You know that the Hawker Control Force has already been doing good work. We, the Hawkers Select Committee, did visit around Hong Kong Island where the Hawker Control Force is operating. We found they did do a good job. If you want to satisfy yourselves, you can go to the Vehicular Ferry Concourse. There are now no more hawkers there, and this is due,
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in my view, to the good work of Hawker Control Force. But never- theless, we are lacking manpower in the Hawker Control Force, and I have said in an earlier meeting that their pay cannot compare with other disciplinary forces, such as the Police or even Fire Services so we are lacking in personnel. At the moment, we have personnel, only about 350 Hawker Control Force of all ranks, or about 20 per cent less than last year, so we have concentrated the Hawker Control Force in Hong Kong Island to perform their duties which, I have said are very satisfactory. On the Kowloon side, as I have said in answer to the question, since 1970 the Hawker Control Force withdrew from the Kowloon side, so to back up this position, we proposed to set up four General Duties Teams to perform more or less the function of Hawker Control Force. They will not be above the Hawker Control Force or below the Hawker Control Force, and it is not the same character of Hawker Control Force. But they would perform much the same function, and we will see which is better serving the community. If the General Duties Teams would serve the community better, then we will expand the General Duties Teams to Hong Kong side as well, but it is too early now to say. We will set up these four Teams in next April or May and after one year, we will see how they have performed. That is the present position.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I thank Mr. Hu. That was an excellent answer. There is now no doubt that the Kowloon members of the Council are not taking advantage of their position to have better service in Kowloon. So the matter rests there.
MRS. E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I should like to ask a supplementary in case the press should have any misunder- standing. The answers given on questions 5 and 6 relate to ordinary unlicensed hawkers, but my questions did not relate to ordinary un- licensed hawkers. They related to those who are not only unlicensed themselves but who intimidate licensed hawkers. I hope that the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee is quite clear on the import of my questions.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English): -Yes, I am clear from Mrs. ELLIOTT's question. I think it is not only the concern of Hawkers Select Committee. It should be the concern generally of the whole committee. We certainly will look this matter further. I think this matter can only be solved with the full co-operation and assistance of the Police Force.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): --Mr. Chairman, I feel that the question of hawking is quite an important one. I would like to know
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