1978 — Page 20

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 20 of 135

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

In reply to the last part of the question, I am aware that the rat problem was the subject of a number of telephone calls received during a radio 'Phone-In' programme on 11 March which in turn was reported at some length in an English-language newspaper on 14 March. This in turn resulted in a letter to the Editor which appeared in the same newspaper on 25 March. The Senior Pest Control Officer has replied to this letter in this morning's edition of the Morning Post presenting a true picture of the problem and the means by which it should be tackled. Finally, I would like to inform Members that the health education programme for 1978-79 proposes an anti-rat campaign for December 1978 and I hope that the public will give their wholehearted support to the Council in tackling this problem.

MR MACKENZIE (in English):--I would like to thank Mrs Ho for her full reply to my question and enquire how many rodents in fact have been destroyed in the past year?

MRS HO (in English):--Mr Chairman, the figure is 270,000.

MR FORSGATE (in English):--Mr Chairman, it may be of interest to the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee to be aware that the godown keepers, including my own company, keep a posse of cats to keep the rat population down and I wonder whether you would consider recommending to members of the public to 'keep a cat and catch a rat' as a useful slogan to adopt in the future. (Laughter)

CHAIRMAN (in English):--Mrs Ho, if you think the question is within the ambit of Standing Orders, you may answer it. (Laughter).

MRS HO (in English):--Mr Chairman, I leave it entirely to your discretion. (Laughter)

CHAIRMAN (in English):--I bow to the superior judgement of our Lady Member. What would you wish to do?

MRS HO (in English):--Mr Chairman, on behalf of the other two Lady Members, I must thank you for your chivalry. I think, considering there are other Members of this Council who are also Members of the Housing Authority where the bulk of our population live, perhaps the answer should be more correctly directed to them.

CHAIRMAN (in English):--To the Chairman of the Building Committee of the Housing Authority no doubt. (Laughter).

MRS HO (in English):--Thank you. (Laughter).

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

DR P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):--There are cases where customers find that food served in public places is stale. What are the exact procedures for them to make a complaint?

MR EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):--This question concerns the procedure for complaints about stale food served in public eating places.

Whether or not food is stale is to some extent a matter of opinion and may be difficult to assess. However, the Urban Services Department will take action in any case where there are reasonable grounds for thinking that food offered for sale is unfit for human consumption.

Selling food which is unfit for human consumption is an offence under Section 54 of the Public Health & Urban Services Ordinance. Any customer who believes that the food served in a restaurant or any other public eating place is unfit for human consumption can lodge a complaint by making a telephone call to the Urban Services Officer of the District concerned and he will send an officer to the premises at once to investigate the matter. The customer should retain the food in question in the meantime and should not return it to the management of the restaurant.

The investigating officer will look into the complaint and, if necessary, take the food away for bacteriological examination and chemical analysis. If the complaint is found to be justified, the operator of the public eating place may be prosecuted. Members of the public should be prepared to back up complaints by attending court as witnesses since, without their evidence, it may not be possible for the offending party to be convicted.

Complaints can be made outside office hours. At such times or on public holidays, they should be made through the Urban Services Department disinfecting stations on either side of the harbour by means of telephone numbers 5-717270 and 3-946957. The officer on duty will then arrange for the matter to be investigated immediately in the way that I have already described.

DR WONG (in English):--Mr Chairman, would it be useful or practical to have these telephone numbers displayed prominently in restaurants?

MR CHOW (in English):--This matter will certainly be brought to the attention of the Food Hygiene Select Committee and we will discuss it at our coming meeting.

MR KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):--Mr Chairman, may I ask the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee whether the action taken by the department is different in the case of unlicensed restaurants as compared to licensed premises?

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Page 20 of 135 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL In reply to the last part of the question, I am aware that the rat problem was the subject of a number of telephone calls received during a radio 'Phone-In' programme on 11 March which in turn was reported at some length in an English-language newspaper on 14 March. This in turn resulted in a letter to the Editor which appeared in the same newspaper on 25 March. The Senior Pest Control Officer has replied to this letter in this morning's edition of the Morning Post presenting a true picture of the problem and the means by which it should be tackled. Finally, I would like to inform Members that the health education programme for 1978-79 proposes an anti-rat campaign for December 1978 and I hope that the public will give their wholehearted support to the Council in tackling this problem. MR MACKENZIE (in English):--I would like to thank Mrs Ho for her full reply to my question and enquire how many rodents in fact have been destroyed in the past year? MRS HO (in English):--Mr Chairman, the figure is 270,000. MR FORSGATE (in English):--Mr Chairman, it may be of interest to the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee to be aware that the godown keepers, including my own company, keep a posse of cats to keep the rat population down and I wonder whether you would consider recommending to members of the public to 'keep a cat and catch a rat' as a useful slogan to adopt in the future. (Laughter) CHAIRMAN (in English):--Mrs Ho, if you think the question is within the ambit of Standing Orders, you may answer it. (Laughter). MRS HO (in English):--Mr Chairman, I leave it entirely to your discretion. (Laughter) CHAIRMAN (in English):--I bow to the superior judgement of our Lady Member. What would you wish to do? MRS HO (in English):--Mr Chairman, on behalf of the other two Lady Members, I must thank you for your chivalry. I think, considering there are other Members of this Council who are also Members of the Housing Authority where the bulk of our population live, perhaps the answer should be more correctly directed to them. CHAIRMAN (in English):--To the Chairman of the Building Committee of the Housing Authority no doubt. (Laughter). MRS HO (in English):--Thank you. (Laughter). HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL DR P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):--There are cases where customers find that food served in public places is stale. What are the exact procedures for them to make a complaint? MR EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):--This question concerns the procedure for complaints about stale food served in public eating places. Whether or not food is stale is to some extent a matter of opinion and may be difficult to assess. However, the Urban Services Department will take action in any case where there are reasonable grounds for thinking that food offered for sale is unfit for human consumption. Selling food which is unfit for human consumption is an offence under Section 54 of the Public Health & Urban Services Ordinance. Any customer who believes that the food served in a restaurant or any other public eating place is unfit for human consumption can lodge a complaint by making a telephone call to the Urban Services Officer of the District concerned and he will send an officer to the premises at once to investigate the matter. The customer should retain the food in question in the meantime and should not return it to the management of the restaurant. The investigating officer will look into the complaint and, if necessary, take the food away for bacteriological examination and chemical analysis. If the complaint is found to be justified, the operator of the public eating place may be prosecuted. Members of the public should be prepared to back up complaints by attending court as witnesses since, without their evidence, it may not be possible for the offending party to be convicted. Complaints can be made outside office hours. At such times or on public holidays, they should be made through the Urban Services Department disinfecting stations on either side of the harbour by means of telephone numbers 5-717270 and 3-946957. The officer on duty will then arrange for the matter to be investigated immediately in the way that I have already described. DR WONG (in English):--Mr Chairman, would it be useful or practical to have these telephone numbers displayed prominently in restaurants? MR CHOW (in English):--This matter will certainly be brought to the attention of the Food Hygiene Select Committee and we will discuss it at our coming meeting. MR KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):--Mr Chairman, may I ask the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee whether the action taken by the department is different in the case of unlicensed restaurants as compared to licensed premises? Page 20 Page 21 of 135

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Page 20 of 135 Page 20 of 135' 7 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL In reply to the last part of the question, I am aware that the rat problem! was the subject of a number of telephone calls received during a radio 'Phone-In' programme on 11 March which in turn was reported at some length in an English-language newspaper on 14 March. This in turn resulted in a letter to the Editor which appeared in the same newspaper on 25 March The Senior Pest Control Officer has replied to this letter in this morning's edition of the Morning Post presenting a true picture of the problem and the means by which it should be tackled. Finally, I would like to inform Members that the health education programme for 1978-79 proposes an anti-rat campaign for December 1978 and I hope that the public will give their wholehearted support to the Council in tackling this problem. MR MACKENZIE (in English):--I would like to thank Mrs Ho for her full reply to my question and enquire how many rodents in fact have been destroyed in the past year? MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, the figure is 270,000. MR FORSGATE (in English):-Mr Chairman, it may be of interest to the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee to be aware that the godown keepers, including my own company, keep a posse of cats to keep the rat population down and I wonder whether you would consider recommending to members of the public to 'keep a cat and catch a rat' as a useful slogan to adopt in the future. (Laughter) CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mrs Ho, if you think the question is within the ambit of Standing Orders, you may answer it. (Laughter). MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, I leave it entirely to your discretion (Laughter) CHAIRMAN (in English):-I bow to the superior judgement of our Lady Member. What would you wish to do? MRS HO (in English):- Mr Chairman, on behalf of the other two Lady Members, I must thank you for your chivalry. I think, considering there are other Members of this Council who are also Members of the Housing Authority where the bulk of our population live, perhaps the answer should be more correctly directed to them. CHAIRMAN (in English):-To the Chairman of the Building Committee of the Housing Authority no doubt. (Laughter). MRS HO (in English):-Thank you. (Laughter). HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL cases where customers find that food served in public places is stale. What 2 DR P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):-There are are the exact procedures for them to make a complaint? MR EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COM- MITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the pro- cedure for complaints about stale food served in public eating places. Whether or not food is stale is to some extent a matter of opinion and may be difficult to assess. However, the Urban Services Department will take action in any case where there are reasonable grounds for thinking that food offered for sale is unfit for human consumption. Selling food which is unfit for human consumption is an offence under Section 54 of the Public Health & Urban Services Ordinance. Any customer who believes that the food served in a restaurant or any other public eating place is unfit for human consumption can lodge a complaint by making a telephone call to the Urban Services Officer of the District concerned and he will send an officer to the premises at once to investigate the matter. The customer should retain the food in question in the meantime and should not return it to the management of the restaurant. The investigating officer will look into the complaint and, if necessary, take the food away for bacteriological examination and chemical analysis. If the complaint is found to be justified, the operator of the public eating place may be prosecuted. Members of the public should be prepared to back up complaints by attending court as witnesses since, without their evidence. it may not be possible for the offending part to be convicted. Complaints can be made outside office hours. At such times or on public holidays, they should be made through the Urban Services Department dis- infecting stations on either side of the harbour by means of telephone numbers 5-717270 and 3-946957. The officer on duty will then arrange for the matter to be investigated immediately in the way that I have already described. DR WONG (in English):-Mr Chairman, would it be useful or practical to have these telephone numbers displayed prominently in restaurants? MR CHOW (in English):-This matter will certainly be brought to the atten- tion of the Food Hygiene Select Committee and we will discuss it at our coming meeting. MR KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):—Mr Chairman, may I ask the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee whether the action taken by the department is different in the case of unlicensed restaurant as compared to licensed premises? Page 20Page 21 Page 21 of 135

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Page 20 of 135

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

In reply to the last part of the question, I am aware that the rat problem! was the subject of a number of telephone calls received during

a radio

'Phone-In' programme on 11 March which in turn was reported at some length in an English-language newspaper on 14 March. This in turn resulted in a letter to the Editor which appeared in the same newspaper on 25 March The Senior Pest Control Officer has replied to this letter in this morning's edition of the Morning Post presenting a true picture of the problem and the means by which it should be tackled. Finally, I would like to inform Members that the health education programme for 1978-79 proposes an anti-rat campaign for December 1978 and I hope that the public will give their wholehearted support to the Council in tackling this problem.

MR MACKENZIE (in English):--I would like to thank Mrs Ho for her full reply to my question and enquire how many rodents in fact have been destroyed in the past year?

MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, the figure is 270,000.

MR FORSGATE (in English):-Mr Chairman, it may be of interest to the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee to be aware that the godown keepers, including my own company, keep a posse of cats to keep the rat population down and I wonder whether you would consider recommending to members of the public to 'keep a cat and catch a rat' as a useful slogan to adopt in the future. (Laughter)

CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mrs Ho, if you think the question is within the ambit of Standing Orders, you may answer it. (Laughter).

MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, I leave it entirely to your discretion (Laughter)

CHAIRMAN (in English):-I bow to the superior judgement of our Lady Member. What would you wish to do?

MRS HO (in English):- Mr Chairman, on behalf of the other two Lady Members, I must thank you for your chivalry. I think, considering there are other Members of this Council who are also Members of the Housing Authority where the bulk of our population live, perhaps the answer should be more correctly directed to them.

CHAIRMAN (in English):-To the Chairman of the Building Committee of the Housing Authority no doubt. (Laughter).

MRS HO (in English):-Thank you. (Laughter).

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

cases where customers find that food served in public places is stale. What 2 DR P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):-There are are the exact procedures for them to make a complaint?

MR EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COM- MITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the pro- cedure for complaints about stale food served in public eating places.

The investigating officer will look into the complaint and, if necessary, take the food away for bacteriological examination and chemical analysis. If the complaint is found to be justified, the operator of the public eating place may be prosecuted. Members of the public should be prepared to back up complaints by attending court as witnesses since, without their evidence. it may not be possible for the offending part to be convicted.

Complaints can be made outside office hours. At such times or on public holidays, they should be made through the Urban Services Department dis- infecting stations on either side of the harbour by means of telephone numbers 5-717270 and 3-946957. The officer on duty will then arrange for the matter to be investigated immediately in the way that I have already described.

DR WONG (in English):-Mr Chairman, would it be useful or practical to have these telephone numbers displayed prominently in restaurants?

MR CHOW (in English):-This matter will certainly be brought to the atten- tion of the Food Hygiene Select Committee and we will discuss it at our coming meeting.

MR KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):—Mr Chairman, may I ask the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee whether the action taken by the department is different in the case of unlicensed restaurant as compared to licensed premises?

1978 — Page 20

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