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provision of lunching facilities for factory workers in the industrial area of Kwun Tong and to the clearance of illegal cooked food operators from back alleys and lanes in that area. These are in fact matters which come under the jurisdiction of two Select Committees and I will attempt to answer the first part of the question concerning factory canteens and perhaps Mr. SHUM Choi-sang will answer regarding cooked food stalls.
The answer to the first part of the question is that, since 1 August 1980 when factory canteens were required to be licensed, 26 factory canteens have been licensed in Kwun Tong.
In answer to the second part of the question, 35 new canteens are known to have been set up since 1 August 1980 in addition to 44 canteens already in existence. Eight of these 44 canteens have been or will have to be closed, leaving a net total of 71 canteens in operation.
The third part of the question refers to the number of workers served by existing canteens. It is thought that, on the basis of one canteen serving say 300 workers, about 21,000 workers are using the existing 71 canteens in operation. Before 1 August 1980 when licensing started, about 13,000 workers would have been using the 44 canteens then in existence. In other words, since licensing of factory canteens started, about 9,000 more workers are served by them in Kwun Tong than before.
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, Chairman of the MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):---The last two parts of the question concern the provision of new cooked food centres in the industrial area of Kwun Tong in relation to the clearance of illegal cooked food operators from back alleys and lanes. The Urban Council is proceeding at all possible speed with the construction of two new cooked food centres, namely at Tsun Yip Street and at the Kwun Tong Ferry Concourse. These are scheduled for completion in May/June 1983 and, allowing for the replacement of two small existing cooked food hawker bazaars, will provide a net addition of 75 stalls.
In the back alleys and lanes of the industrial area, there are in fact about 80 structures connected in some way with the preparation of food for consumption by factory workers at lunchtime. These structures are mainly on private land and it is apparent that most of them are involved in the preparation of food for consumption elsewhere. Their actual clearance is under the control of the District Management Committee. The Urban Services Department is currently discussing with the City and New Territories Administration the timing of the phased clearance programme so as to minimize any adverse effect that this may have on the level of provision of lunching facilities available in the industrial area. In view of the varied nature of the businesses carried on by the illegal operators to be cleared, it is not possible to quantify in precise terms the loss in actual lunching facilities likely to result. It may in fact have the effect of encouraging the development of alternative lunching facilities such as licensed fast food shops during 1982/83 to offset any loss brought about by the clearance. The Department will be monitoring closely the effects of the operation jointly with the City District Commissioner (Kwun Tong) and the situation will be reviewed after the first few phases.
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clearance. The Department will be monitoring closely the effects of the operation jointly with the City District Commissioner (Kwun Tong) and the situation will be reviewed after the first few phases.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I would like first of all to ask a supplementary to the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee. I've found the answer rather inconsistent with the figures because originally, there were 44 canteens and of these, only 26 have been licensed, 8 cannot be licensed which means that 10 others are not yet licensed, and then we are told that 35 new ones with an application number have all been licensed. So, of the 71 canteens mentioned, only 26 are licensed which means instead of having 44 canteens providing 30,000 workers with food, we actually have a net loss and a number of workers who are getting food from unlicensed canteens. Is that correct?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, according to the statistics in the answer, there may be a possibility of this result, because it said that after 1 August 1980, only 26 factory canteens have been licensed in Kwun Tong. Mrs. ELLIOTT asked how many new canteens have been opened and how many old ones have been closed because they cannot conform with licensing conditions. The answer to the second part is that 35 had been opened. If her question is whether the 35 canteens are out of the 26 licensed ones or the unlicensed ones, I cannot answer in detail.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):-The Chairman of the committee confirmed then that she is counting canteens as being canteens when they are not licensed. I didn't realize that canteens are allowed to be opened until they can meet the conditions. Is that correct?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese):-The answer is, the question itself is asking about how many new canteens have been opened. After the operation of the canteen, they may not have received the licence from the viewpoint of the law, we cannot call it a licensed canteen, but if it carries on operation, it does say that we are encouraging this. We still call it a factory canteen even if it does not have a licence.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in that case, are canteens opened without a licence subject to prosecution? Secondly, why does it take 1½ years for licences?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese):-Yes, canteens without a licence should not operate. The reasons for the operation may be, first of all, someone has told them that they should improve on their conditions. The second possibility may be that other departments may be asking them to improve on the facilities in the canteens, during this process, they have started their operation. It does not mean that we are encouraging their operation. As for the second part of your question, whether we should allow the operation of the canteens. If they can meet other criteria, we will encourage them to operate legally.
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provision of lunching facilities for factory workers in the industrial area of Kwun Tong and to the clearance of illegal cooked food operators from back alleys and lanes in that area. These are in fact matters which come under the jurisdiction of two Select Committees and I will attempt to answer the first part of the question concerning factory canteens and perhaps Mr. SHUм Choi-sang will answer regarding cooked food stalls.
The answer to the first part of the question is that, since 1 August 1980 when factory canteens were required to be licensed, 26 factory canteens have been licensed in Kwun Tong.
In answer to the second part of the question, 35 new canteens are known to have been set up since 1 August 1980 in addition to 44 canteens already in existence. Eight of these 44 canteens have been or will have to be closed, leaving a net total of 71 canteens in operation.
The third part of the question refers to the number of workers served by existing canteens. It is thought that, on the basis of one canteen serving say 300 workers, about 21 000 workers are using the existing 71 canteens in operation. Before 1 August 1980 when licensing started, about 13 000 workers would have been using the 44 canteens then in existence. In other words, since licensing of factory canteens started, about 9 000 more workers are served by them in Kwun Tong than before.
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, Chairman of the MarkeTS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):---The last two parts of the question concern the provision of new cooked food centres in the industrial area of Kwun Tong in relation to the clearance of illegal cooked food operators from back alleys and lanes. The Urban Council is proceeding at all possible speed with the construction of two new cooked food centres, namely at Tsun Yip Street and at the Kwun Tong Ferry Concourse. These are scheduled for completion in May/June 1983 and, allowing for the replacement of two small existing cooked food hawker bazaars, will provide a net addition of 75 stalls.
In the back alleys and lanes of the industrial area, there are in fact about 80 structures connected in some way with the preparation of food for consumption by factory workers at lunchtime. These structures are mainly on private land and it is apparent that most of them are involved in the preparation of food for consumption elsewhere. Their actual clearance is under the control of the District Management Committee. The Urban Services Department is currently discussing with the City and New Territories Administration the timing of the phased clearance programme so as to minimize any adverse effect that this may have on the level of provision of lunching facilities available in the industrial area. In view of the varied nature of the businesses carried on by the illegal operators to be cleared, it is not possible to quantify in precise terms the loss in actual lunching facilities likely to result. It may in fact have the effect of encouraging the development of alternative lunching facilities such as licensed fast food shops during 1982/83 to offset any loss brought about by the
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clearance. The Department will be monitoring closely the effects of the operation jointly with the City District Commissioner (Kwun Tong) and the situation will be reviewed after the first few phases.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I would like first of all to ask a supplementary to the Chairman of the Food Hygiene Select Committee. I've found the answer rather inconsistent with the figures because originally, there were 44 canteens and of these, only 26 have been licensed, 8 cannot be licensed which means that 10 others are not yet licensed, and then we are told that 35 new ones with an application number have all been licensed. So, of the 71 canteens mentioned, only 26 are licensed which means instead of having 44 canteens providing 30 000 workers with food, we actually have a net loss and a number of workers who are getting food from unlicensed canteens. Is that correct?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, according to the statistics in the answer, there may be a possibility of this result, because it said that after 1 August 1980, only 26 factory canteens have been licensed in Kwun Tong. Mrs. ELLIOTT asked how many new canteens have been opened and how many old ones have been closed because they cannot conform with licensing conditions. The answer to the second part is that 35 had been opened. If her question is whether the 35 canteens are out of the 26 licensed ones or the unlicensed ones, I cannot answer in detail.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):-The Chairman of the committee confirmed then that she is counting canteens as being canteens when they are not licensed. I didn't realize that canteens are allowed to be opened until they can meet the conditions. Is that correct?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese):-The answer is, the question itself is asking about how many new canteens have been opened. After the operation of the canteen, they may not have received the licence from the view point of the law, we cannot call it a licensed canteen, but if it carries on operation, it does say that we are encouraging this. We still call it a factory canteen even if it does not have a licence.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):—Mr. Chairman, in that case, are canteens opened without a licence subject to prosecution? Secondly, why does it take 11⁄2 years for licences?
MISS TAM (in Cantonese):-Yes, canteens without a licence should not operate. The reasons for the operation may be, first of all, someone has told them that they should improve on their conditions. The second possibility may be that other departments may be asking them to improve on the facilities in the canteens, during this process, they have started their operation. It does not mean that we are encouraging their operation. As for the second part of your question, whether we should allow the operation of the canteens. If they can meet other criteria, we will encourage them to operate legally.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.