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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

However, as a result of the recession and consequential financial restraint, most of these projected buildings were deferred indefinitely.

Notwithstanding this, the Libraries Select Committee decided to proceed with an expansion policy and in an effort to overcome the accommodation problem, adopted a 6-year short-term programme which called for the setting up of interim district library facilities in the form of mini, mobile, and small branch libraries. Under this programme, a mobile library for Sham Shui Po was started in July 1976, whilst the mini library for the Western district is at present undergoing fitting-out.

More recently, with an improved financial situation, the Libraries Select Committee decided to abolish the short-term project (with the exception for the mobile library for Hong Kong Island) and concurrently decided to intensify the implementation of its original programme by establishing:

(a) 12 large libraries of 12,000 sq. ft. over the next 4 years;
(b) 2 music listening libraries.

Presently, the mobile library for Hong Kong and the music listening libraries for Yau Ma Tei and Kwun Tong are being designed, whilst the fitting-out of the Western mini library and the Sham Shui Po library is in progress.

In the course of 1977-78, the Chai Wan library and another one, possibly in Wong Tai Sin or in Kowloon City district, will be implemented.

STATEMENT BY MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE

MR. EDMUND W. H. CHOW (in Cantonese): - Mr. Chairman, let me now report to you and my colleagues in this Council what happened when other committee members and I interviewed the representatives of the workers' unions and what their requests were with regard to our handling of "unlicensed restaurants". Of all people in the food trade, only union representatives appearing on behalf of the employees attended the meeting. The "investors" to whom this matter was of paramount concern did not send even one single representative to the meeting. I feel that to solve the problem of "unlicensed restaurants", it requires the efforts of all parties concerned. Only the "investors" can explain the primary reasons for operating an unlicensed business; and also only the "investors" can tell us what actually did happen in the course of their application for licences. It is only then that it can be deduced and decided with whom the fault lies in the licensing delay; who should bear the major part of the blame and whether the applicants should bear a part of the blame. Only in this way can an overall solution be found on the basis of various individual situations. I fail to understand why the "investors" who are directly concerned did not attend the meeting themselves but left it to the representatives of the workers' unions representing only the workers to take up the matter on their behalf.

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be deduced and decided with whom the fault lies in the licensing delay; who should bear the major part of the blame and whether the applicants should bear a part of the blame. Only in this way can an overall solution be found on the basis of various individual situations. I fail to understand why the "investors" who are directly concerned did not attend the meeting themselves but left it to the representatives of the workers' unions representing only the workers to take up the matter on their behalf.

Notwithstanding this, the Food Hygiene Select Committee did not mind very much the question of representativeness. For, in my opinion, the Committee should take the initiative to think out a well-planned measure which meets the requirements of all parties concerned no matter whether there is any representative asking for a discussion with us or not. This, in fact, has been done. The Committee has, on the one hand, to fulfill its statutory function of safeguarding public health, and, on the other, to give due consideration to the difficulties of the trade and the problem of employment from a moral and social point of view. At that meeting, union representatives had put forward three requests:

(1) that the Urban Council will refrain from applying to the courts for "Injunction Orders" against unlicensed premises;
(2) that a "Central Screening Body" be set up; and
(3) that "temporary licences" be issued.

I consider that the right of granting the first request vests with the Attorney General rather than the Council. As to the second and third requests, my Committee had already given them due thought while simplifying the Council's licensing procedures 18 months ago. On top of this, they had been referred to the Fire Services and the Public Works Departments for consideration but were all refused. However, I had agreed to put the requests before the Committee for reconsideration so that a compromising and satisfactory solution may be worked out.

However, I cannot agree with the leading representative, Mr. Au Son, when he said at the meeting that there was absolutely no reason for the operator to deliberately breach the law since he had invested ten million dollars in his business. I even consider such argument as illogical and arbitrary. If what he said is true, then it may follow that all rich men are absolutely law-abiding, and even if they do become lawless, they can use "there was absolutely no reason for us to deliberately break the law" as a defence and thus go scot-free.

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