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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. CHUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, about the General Duties Teams, the problem actually is there are so many illegal hawkers who are green card holders. Some of them even don't understand why they are not allowed to hawk in the streets, and they felt that they are justified in selling their goods in the streets, and that they misunderstand any intervention and possibility conflicts arose in this respect. Those who have been hawking in Hong Kong for a long time know the situation, and that the members of the team can do enforcement work much easier. Those who do not run away can't even understand why they are arrested, and therefore we should make people understand better why they cannot hawk in the streets. Another point is that when they are arresting or carrying out their work, they should be careful on how to carry out their work.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-What kind of question are you putting to Mr. SHUM?

MR. CHUNG (in Cantonese):-It's just a supplement to what Mr. SHUM said about the complaints and discipline.

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-About the complaints, I don't know whether Mr. SHUM has anything to say about this. As Chairman of that select committee, your Vice-Chairman is Mr. CHUNG. Do you have any comments on what Mr. CHUNG just said or do you think what he said is already sufficient?

MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-I entirely agree with what Mr. CHUNG just said.

CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mr. CHUNG, you should be asking a supplementary question. In view of the fact that Mr. SHUM has agreed with the point that you have raised, we'll let it go, but in future, it should be raised as a supplementary question.

MRS. CHOW (in English):-Mr. Chairman, since you have allowed the Vice-Chairman of the select committee to make a statement, I'd like to ask a supplementary on the statement. Of course, basically, I think that we are not talking about General Duties Teams carrying out their duties and in controlling the hawkers, I think we all understand that they have a difficult task to carry out. Trying to carry out this task, inevitably, there will be conflicts and they might lead to complaints on the side of people who are being controlled. I think that sometimes, the complaints arise relating to behaviour which is not in the line of duty. As far as I know, complaints that I have heard relate to the teams when they are in uniform but not exactly in hawker control operation as such. Now, I think Mr. SHUM mentioned earlier that there is certain actions taken as a result of complaints, may I have an idea on how many complaints have the department received and how they are dealt with.

MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, about the first question of how many complaints, I cannot answer right away, but I know there are complaints

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and all the complaints have been dealt with by the department and very carefully considered by the department. If they are found to be true, then we would take immediate action to improve the situation.

MR. CHOW (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. SHUM has mentioned about the politeness of the members of the teams which is included in the course of training. I don't know whether Mr. SHUM can explain further, is there any special item in the training course to teach the members of the teams to be polite to the public, and whether the contents of the course is sufficient to let them know how to be polite when carrying out their work?

MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-I have never been to the course, so I don't know. But I am quite sure the members have been reminded repeatedly. Of course, we are looking into the complaints. About this question, if I have another opportunity, I would say something more.

MR. SULKE (in English):-Could we have a split, when you gave us the figures for how many complaints, between complaints by licensed hawkers and complaints by unlicensed hawkers.

MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I don't know what the department will do with this, but I think they do have the total figure about the complaints, but as for complaints from illegal and legal hawkers, I am not too sure about this.

MR. C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, since so many members are so concerned about the General Duties Teams and their behaviour in public, and their syllabus, would Mr. SHUM please in the next meeting ask the Urban Services Department to circulate a paper on this question so that we can discuss this in more detail, and that we can make a report on this so that every member will have a detailed knowledge of this.

MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, this is a very good advice and I will talk with the department and see if they can give us a report.

MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I would like to know about the task of the G.D.T. and about their time table. Usually we only see them in lorries on the streets and they don't seem to be doing anything, so I would like to know what operation actually are they carrying out.

MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as for the General Duties Teams, we have very detailed regulations on their operation and their duties and this is clearly listed in their syllabus. As for whether they are doing nothing, only sitting in a car, I think it depends on the circumstances. Sometimes, they may be in a lorry watching over the situation and they may visit the markets in the lorry and see what they can do around the markets, so even if they are sitting in a lorry, they are still carrying out their duties.

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