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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask Mr. SHUM if as there are 2263 new stalls provided for 1400 licensed hawkers, will the other remaining stalls be used to absorb licensed hawkers in other districts?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I cannot give you a very concrete reply at the moment, but we are currently considering first the hawkers (apart from the licensed hawkers) in Eastern District which may need to be resited. Then, we will also consider other licensed hawkers outside Eastern District.
MR. YOUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, according to my understanding of Mr. SHUM's answer, the rest of the stalls will be used to house the existing market stall licensees, but it seems that from the figures I have, by 1986, all on-street licensed hawkers in Eastern District will be given a stall. In the interim period, will we still enforce hawker control? If not, by 1986, there will still be a lot of additional licensed or unlicensed hawkers that need to be resited.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the control of hawkers is one of the problems we are always attending to, and will certainly strengthen our control. But the degree of control will depend on equipment and human resources available. Besides, it is also related to financial consideration. A lot of people may find it hard to make a living and thus they become hawkers, so we need more people to control them. But the policy of U.C. is to keep the roads clear which is also the work of the R.H.K.P.F.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, what we are concerned with is that all the licensed hawkers are to be resited in the market complexes. What about the unlicensed hawkers? It is difficult to control them. They will still be in existence in the future. In the circumstances, will it be that as in the past, when the market complexes are completed, the licensed stall-holders will move to the street and hawk with the unlicensed hawkers. Can this possibility be eliminated?
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Is this a problem in the Eastern District? Mr. SHUM, Can you answer this one?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in principle, the General Duties Teams of the U.S.D. are doing a very successful job in controlling hawkers. I hope the situation is not as bad as Dr. HUANG has said. However, we cannot guarantee that no licensed hawkers will move to the street to hawk with unlicensed hawkers as there are too many unlicensed hawkers. But we will certainly do our best to control them. When the complexes are completed, we will try to rehouse the licensed hawkers so as to reduce the number of on-street hawkers, and the control of unlicensed hawkers will certainly be made easier.
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I would like to know about the stalls in Eastern District. Is there any regulations stipulating the stalls that are closed? Sometimes some of the stalls are closed and used as a storage area. Is there any regulation to prevent this from happening.
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CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): ---Mr. SHUM, are you willing to answer the question?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I can answer, but this will be out of the relevant context. Moreover, this will take much time. Properly, I will not answer this one here. Perhaps I can answer in the Select Committee. It is an important question.
4. MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese);---- Concerning the public library service in Wong Tai Sin District, I should like to know:
(a) When will a public library for the district residents be set up? (b) How often does the mobile library visit the district?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns library services for the Wong Tai Sin district and is in two parts: (a) the provision of district libraries; and (b) the frequency of visits by the mobile library.
Under the approved policy of one district library for every 200000 people, the Wong Tai Sin district is entitled to two district libraries. At present the district is served by the Ping Shek Public Library in Tsuen Shek House, Ping Shek Estate. This library occupies an area of 1013 m2, and provides a lending library service for both adults and children, a 'quick reference' section, a newspapers/periodicals reading section and a self-contained study room with 144 seats. The Ping Shek Library will be replaced by a larger district library of about 1394 m2 in the new Urban Council Ngau Chi Wan Complex, which is due for completion in 1985.
The Council's aim is to incorporate district libraries in suitable Urban Council buildings, and the department, in conjunction with the Town Planning Board, is at present identifying suitable sites for these buildings in the Wong Tai Sin district.
Meanwhile, suitable sites for one or more small static libraries are being sought in conjunction with the Housing Authority, and I am pleased to report that a suitable site has now been identified and will be considered by the Libraries Select Committee at its next meeting in April, and may I extend an invitation to attend the meeting.
As regards the mobile library service, the Kowloon Mobile Library at present visits the Wong Tai Sin district three days in a week, as follows:
Wednesdays: Tze On Estate
Fridays: Lok Fu Estate
Saturdays: Upper Wong Tai Sin Estate
May I assure Miss YEUNG that we are very eager to get libraries in Wong Tai Sin which is one of our priority areas.
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Page 136 of 142
Page 135 of 142
224
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask Mr. SHUM if as there are 2 263 new stalls provided for 1400 licensed hawkers, will the other remaining stalls be used to absorb licensed hawkers in other districts?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I cannot give you a very concrete reply at the moment, but we are currently considering first the hawkers (apart from the licensed hawkers) in Eastern District which may need to be resited. Then, we will also consider other licensed hawkers outside Eastern District.
MR. YOUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, according to my understanding of Mr. SHUM's answer, the rest of the stalls will be used to house the existing market stall licensees, but it seems that from the figures I have, by 1986, all on-street licensed hawkers in Eastern District will be given a stall. In the interim period, will we still enforce hawker control? If not, by 1986, there will still be a lot of additional licensed or unlicensed hawkers that need to be resited.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the control of hawkers is one of the problems we are always attending to, and will certainly strengthen our control. But the degree of control will depend on equipment and human resources available. Besides, it is also related to financial consideration. A lot of people may find it hard to make a living and thus they become hawkers, so we need more people to control them. But the policy of U.C. is to keep the roads clear which is also the work of the R.H.K.P.F.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, what we are concerned with is that all the licensed hawkers are to be resited in the market complexes. What about the unlicensed hawkers? It is difficult to control them. They will still be in existence in the future. In the circumstances, will it be that as in the past, when the market complexes are completed, the licensed stall-holders will move to the street and hawk with the unlicensed hawkers. Can this possibility be eliminated?
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):-Is this a problem in the Eastern District? Mr. SHUM, Can you answer this one?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in principle, the General Duties Teams of the U.S.D. are doing a very successful job in controlling hawkers. I hope the situation is not as bad as Dr. HUANG has said. However, we cannot guarantee that no licensed hawkers will move to the street to hawk with unlicensed hawkers as there are too many unlicensed hawkers. But we will certainly do our best to control them. When the complexes are completed, we will try to rehouse the licensed hawkers so as to reduce the number of on-street hawkers, and the control of unlicensed hawkers will certainly be made easier.
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I would like to know about the stalls in Eastern District. Is there any regulations stipulating the stalls that are closed? Sometimes some of the stalls are closed and used as a storage area. Is there any regulation to prevent this from happening.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese): ---Mr. SHUм, are you willing to answer the question?
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I can answer, but this will be out of the relevant context. Moreover, this will take much time. Properly, I will not answer this one here. Perhaps I can answer in the Select Committee. It is an important question.
4. MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese);---- Concerning the public library service in Wong Tai Sin District, I should like to know:
(a) When will a public library for the district residents be set up? (b) How often does the mobile library visit the district?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns library services for the Wong Tai Sin district and is in two parts: (a) the provision of district libraries; and (b) the frequency of visits by the mobile library.
Under the approved policy of one district library for every 200 000 people, the Wong Tai Sin district is entitled to two district libraries. At present the district is served by the Ping Shek Public Library in Tsuen Shek House, Ping Shek Estate. This library occupies an area of 1013 m2, and provides a lending library service for both adults and children, a 'quick reference' section, a newspapers/ periodicals reading section and a self-contained study room with 144 seats. The Ping Shek Library will be replaced by a larger district library of about 1 394 m2 in the new Urban Council Ngau Chi Wan Complex, which is due for completion in 1985.
The Council's aim is to incorporate district libraries in suitable Urban Council buildings, and the department, in conjunction with the Town Planning Board, is at present identifying suitable sites for these buildings in the Wong Tai Sin district.
Meanwhile, suitable sites for one or more small static libraries are being sought in conjunction with the Housing Authority, and I am pleased to report that a suitable site has now been identified and will be considered by the Libraries Select Committee at its next meeting in April, and may I extend an invitation to attend the meeting.
As regards the mobile library service, the Kowloon Mobile Library at present visits the Wong Tai Sin district three days in a week, as follows:
Wednesdays: Fridays:
Saturdays:
Tze On Estate
Lok Fu Estate
Upper Wong Tai Sin Estate
May I assure Miss YEUNG that we are very eager to get libraries in Wong Tai Sin which is one of our priority areas.
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