Page 64 of 154
96
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I do not object to the Hawkers Select Committee thinking and re-thinking and re-thinking again, but I wonder how long it would take for the thinking to finish? How much time would you require before we can have a definite answer because this experimental scheme is over soon?
MR. HU (in English): --The experiment will end on the 14th September, six-month experiment. So after the experiment is over, we will gather all the material and ask the Department to submit a final assessment of the whole situation. Then the Committee will make its decision on the experimental scheme. In any case, the experimental scheme has gone on smoothly except, of course, Tung Choi Street. We are now concentrating on how to solve the situation on that street and it may take some time to devise a satisfactory answer.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, this experiment was originally designed to last for six months before we make this decision. Does it mean that, at least in Tung Choi Street, the experiment will go on? Because in the past, as Mr. Hu has mentioned, the problem in Tung Choi Street has always existed ever since the start of this experimental scheme and the problem has always cropped up in the past months. The Hawkers Select Committee should give it a lot of consideration and has given it a lot of consideration, but can the Select Committee make its decision on Tung Choi Street within two weeks?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I would like Members to bear in mind Standing Order No. 12 before they ask supplementary questions. Questions which are fully answered should not be the pretext for a debate.
MR. HU (in English):-Dr. HUANG's idea probably is some drastic change in the Tung Choi Street which, in my view, is not the view taken by the Select Committee. We would modify, so there would be no drastic change in Tung Choi Street either, for example, as some Members and public consider that it should be totally abolished. That probably would not be possible, at least I envisage. We certainly will make an effort to improve the situation so that hawkers can be happily hawking there and the shopowners can also do their business on a fair basis. Dr. HUANG also thinks that probably in Tung Choi Street, what has been going on? At the very beginning, of course, it may be true that the Tung Choi Street should not be chosen as a site, people become clever afterwards. We went to the horse-racing and after the horse has won, we all know which is the best one.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
97
As one of our 23 streets, at the moment, for the best interest of Hong Kong, we should improve it to the best of our ability. We should not either abolish it or probably, in my personal view, we should not expand it too rapidly. At the moment, we should stabilize this situation and make improvements and that is the answer to Dr. HUANG'S question.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):--Since I won't ask any further questions.
MR. F. K. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I would appreciate if Mr. Hu could confirm that the Hawkers Permitted Area scheme would carry on under the present arrangement. I presume it would carry on under the present arrangement until the Hawkers Select Committee has reached a definite decision?
MR. HU (in English):-I think so after the experimental stage, "yes".
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hu mentioned that the Hawkers Select Committee has not arrived at any decision, could I ask Mr. Hu if, in his public speech few days ago when he said that the Hawker Permitted Area would not be enlarged, is that Mr. Hu's personal opinion or is that the Hawkers Select Committee's decision?
MR. HU (in English):-It is my personal opinion. It might be as I have just said. It may not be expanded, I said that and that certainly was not the final decision of the Select Committee. This is my personal view on it. It might be the Select Committee's view as I have always been in that Select Committee and it is my personal guess of the view of the Select Committee.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, could I ask Mr. Hu one question. During the 6-month experiment, did he receive any written report from the Department and are we going to ask the Department to make a very detailed report and, if this report is made, when will it arrive at our hands?
MR. HU (in English):-I have not received any written report, but in every Select Committee meeting, sometimes we have two meetings in one month, I always asked not only the U.S.D. staff, but also some other departments to give us a report. Although we wish to have this report as Mr. TSIN wants, the situation, especially in Tung Choi Street...
Page 65 of 154
Page 64 of 154
96
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I do not object to the Hawkers Select Committee thinking and re-thinking and re-thinking again, but I wonder how long it would take for the thinking to finish? How much time would you require before we can have a definite answer because this experimental scheme is over soon?
MR. HU (in English): --The experiment will end on the 14th Sep- tember, six-month experiment. So after the experiment is over, we will gather all the material and ask the Department to submit a final assessment of the whole situation. Then the Committee will make its decision on the experimental scheme. In any case, the experimental scheme has gone on smoothly except, of course, Tung Choi Street. We are now concentrating on how to solve the situation on that street and it may take sometime to devise a satisfactory answer.
on.
was
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, this experiment originally designed to last for six months before we make this decision. Does it mean that, at least in Tung Choi Street, the experiment will go Because in the past, as Mr. Hu has mentioned, the problem in Tung Choi Street has always existed ever since the start of this experi- mental scheme and the problem has always cropped up in the past months. The Hawkers Select Committee should give it a lot of con- sideration and has given it a lot of consideration, but can the Select Committee make its decision on Tung Choi Street within two weeks?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I would like Members to bear in mind Standing Order No. 12 before they ask supplementary questions. Questions which are fully answered should not be the pretext for a debate.
MR. HU (in English):-Dr. HUANG's idea probably is some drastic change in the Tung Choi Street which, in my view, is not the view taken by the Select Committee. We would modify, so there would be no drastic change in Tung Choi Street either, for example, as some Members and public consider that it should be totally abolished. That probably would not be possible, at least I envisage. We cer- tainly will make an effort to improve the situation so that hawkers can be happily hawking there and the shopowners can also do their business on a fair basis. Dr. HUANG also thinks that probably in Tung Choi Street, what has been going on? At the very beginning, of course, it may be true that the Tung Choi Street should not be chosen as a site, people become clever afterwards. We went to the horse-racing and after the horse has won, we all know which
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
97
is the best one. as one of our 23 streets, at the moment, for the best interest of Hong Kong, we should improve it to the best of our ability. We should not either abolish it or probably, in my personal view we should not ex- pand it too rapidly. At the moment, we should stablize this situation and make improvements and that is the answer to Dr. HUANG'S question.
But since we have already chosen Tung Choi Street
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):--Since
I won't ask any further questions.
can't remember Section 12,
MR. F. K. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I would appreciate if Mr. Hu could confirm that the Hawkers Permitted Area scheme would carry on under the present arrangement. I presume it would carry on under the present arrangement until the Hawkers Select Committee has reached a definite decision?
MR. HU (in English):-I think so after the experimental stage, "yes".
MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hu mentioned that the Hawkers Select Committee has not arrived at any decision, could I ask Mr. Hu if, in his public speech few days ago when he said that the Hawker Permitted Area would not be enlarged, is that Mr. Hu's personal opinion or is that the Hawkers Select Com- mittee's decision?
MR. HU (in English):-It is my personal opinion. It might be as I have just said. It may not be expanded, I said that and that certainly was not the final decision of the Select Committee. This is my personal view on it. It might be the Select Committee's view as I have always been in that Select Committee and it is my personal guess of the view of the Select Committee.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, could I ask Mr. Hu one question. During the 6-month experiment, did he receive any written report from the Department and are we going to ask the Department to make a very detailed report and, if this report is made, when will it arrive at our hands?
MR. HU (in English):-I have not received any written report, but in every Select Committee meeting, sometimes we have two meetings in one month, I always asked not only the U.S.D. staff, but also some other departments to give us a report. Although we wish to have this report as Mr. TSIN wants, the situation, especially in Tung
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.