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important point of principle involving the authority of the Urban Council and the right of access of Councillors to information, and I would like to ask you if the matter might be referred to the Standing Committee of the Whole Council for detailed information and discussion.
MR. Lo (In English): —I think that would be a very good idea.
CHAIRMAN (In English): —Are there other supplementaries that Members wish to put on this question? If not, to clarify the position, the Chair will make a brief statement. First and foremost, when this matter came to the attention of the Council through the medium of the press, I asked immediately for an explanation. This was given. Then in the City Hall Select Committee it was decided that the Urban Council would press for an investigation, and I asked the Chairman of the City Hall Select Committee to represent the Urban Council. Subsequently, Mr. T. S. Lo as the Chairman of the City Hall Select Committee made what I thought was a very good statement in the last meeting of the Council. Today, in reply to the questions put by Mr. P. K. NG and other Members of the Council, he has likewise clarified the position extensively. In between this period of time, both the Chairman of the City Hall Select Committee and I have been in touch with the Director of Urban Services and have pressed for the findings of the investigation. The matter is now in the hands of the Colonial Secretariat according to our last information and, after a decision by the Secretariat, then the Urban Council would decide what to do on our part; I intend to have this matter discussed in the Standing Committee of the Whole Council. Anyway, I told the press that I would not agree to it being swept under the carpet, so to speak. At the same time, this Council has the duty to ensure that the proper procedure is followed so that the position of the Council would be strengthened at the time that the Council takes a decision in the matter. Any other procedure would only serve to weaken the Council's position finally. So, in due time, this matter will be referred to the Standing Committee. We will now proceed to the last question.
(6) MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW asked the following question (In English): —
(a) Is it possible for vacant market stalls to be converted for the use by food caterers for preparation of meals for consumption off the premises? If not, why not?
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(b) If the answer to the preceding question is in the affirmative, could the phasing out of those illegal food caterers who occupy a whole flat be postponed until the completion of the conversion of such market stalls?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND ABATTOIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (In English): —
I would like to thank Mr. CHOW for raising this question which gives me the opportunity to say what the Markets and Abattoirs Select Committee has been doing about vacant market stalls.
As members will appreciate, it is not practical to locate food catering businesses in market stalls side by side with stalls selling raw market commodities. However, there would be no objection in principle to housing food catering kitchens or cooked food canteens in the same market building provided that such are segregated from stalls selling market commodities. Indeed, my committee has given this idea considerable thought and has recently endorsed proposals in the Tung Lung Chau Market where it is feasible to convert some vacant stalls on the first floor of the market into a cooked food bazaar. We are always searching for new ideas to make the best use of any vacant market stalls in the light of particular situations prevailing in individual markets. Mr. CHOW can be assured that due consideration will be given to the point he has raised when the Select Committee looks into proposals for converting vacant market stalls for other uses. The consideration of the Committee will, of course, be passed on to the Food Hygiene Select Committee to consider any variation in their phasing-out policy on illegal food caterers.
MR. CHOW (In English): —One supplementary question, Mr. Chairman. On the question of segregating stalls selling market commodities; could steps be taken to regroup those occupied stalls and those vacant stalls for such purpose of housing the food caterers or the food canteens?
MR. LOBO (In English): —This is the only way that can be done. As Members will appreciate, and Mr. CHOW will realize, vacant stalls are not all in the same line, the same row, and they have to be regrouped, and whenever this is possible of course the Committee will look into the matter and make suitable arrangements. I may add, too,
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important point of principle involving the authority of the Urban Council and the right of access of Councillors to information, and I would like to ask you if the matter might be referred to the Standing Committee of the Whole Council for detailed information and dis
cussion.
MR. Lo (In English): --I think that would be a very good idea.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Are there other supplementaries that Members wish to put on this question? If not, to clarify the position, the Chair will make a brief statement. First and foremost, when this matter came to the attention of the Council through the medium of the press, I asked immediately for an explanation. This was given. Then in the City Hall Select Committee it was decided that the Urban Council would press for an investigation, and I asked the Chairman of the City Hall Select Committee to represent the Urban Council. Sub- sequently, Mr. T. S. Lo as the Chairman of the City Hall Select Com- mittee made what I thought was a very good statement in the last meeting of the Council. Today, in reply to the questions put by Mr. P. K. NG and other Members of the Council, he has likewise clarified the position extensively. In between this period of time, both the Chairman of the City Hall Select Committee and I have been in touch with the Director of Urban Services and have pressed for the findings of the investigation. The matter is now in the hands of the Colonial Secretariat according to our last information and, after a decision by the Secretariat, then the Urban Council would decide what to do on our part; I intend to have this matter discussed in the Standing Com- mittee of the Whole Council. Anyway, I told the press that I would not agree to it being swept under the carpet, so to speak. At the same time, this Council has the duty to ensure that the proper procedure followed so that the position of the Council would be strengthened at the time that the Council takes a decision in the matter. Any other procedure would only serve to weaken the Council's position finally. So, in due time, this matter will be referred to the Standing Committee. We will now proceed to the last question.
(6) MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW asked the following question (In English):-
(a) Is it possible for vacant market stalls to be converted for the use by food caterers for preparation of meals for con- sumption off the premises? If not, why not?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
85
(b) If the answer to the preceding question is in the affirma- tive, could the phasing out of those illegal food caterers who occupy a whole flat be postponed until the comple- tion of the conversion of such market stalls?
MR. R. H. LOBO, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND ABATTOIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (In English):-
I would like to thank Mr. CHOW for raising this question which gives me the opportunity to say what the Markets and Abattoirs Select Committee has been doing about vacant market stalls.
As members will appreciate, it is not practical to locate food catering businesses in market stalls side by side with stalls selling raw market commodities. However, there would be no objection in principle to housing food catering kitchens or cooked food canteens in the same market building provided that such are segregated from stalls selling market commodities. Indeed, my committee has given this idea considerable thought and has recently endorsed proposals in the Tang Lung Chau Market where it is feasible to convert some vacant stalls on the first floor of the market into a cooked food bazaar. We are always searching for new ideas to make the best use of any vacant market stalls in the light of particular situations prevailing in individual markets. Mr. CHOW can be assured that due consideration will be given to the point he has raised when the Select Committee looks into proposals for converting vacant market stalls for other uses. The consideration of the Committee will, of course, be passed on to the Food Hygiene Select Committee to consider any variation in their phasing-out policy on illegal food caterers.
MR. CHOW (In English):—One supplementary question, Mr. Chair- man. On the question of segregating stalls selling market commodities; could steps be taken to regroup those occupied stalls and those vacant stalls for such purpose of housing the food caterers or the food canteens?
MR. LOBO (In English):-This is the only way that can be done. As Members will appreciate, and Mr. CHow will realize, vacant stalls are not all in the same line, the same row, and they have to be re- grouped, and whenever this is possible of course the Committee will look into the matter and make suitable arrangements. I may add, too,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.