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collected. During the period 1.1.85 to 31.10.85, 355 rat complaints (only one of which was directly in connection with food premises) were received and 3870 dead rats were collected in these two districts as compared with 384 complaints and 3,784 dead rats collected during the same period in 1984. These figures suggest that the rat problem in these areas is being contained. The department is of the view that the present situation will not seriously affect environmental hygiene in the areas in question.
In answer to the third part of the question, I am assured by the department that the measures being taken by the district staff include:-
(i) Prompt response to complaints: depending on the degree of infestation discovered on an initial visit, either trapping or poisoning is undertaken.
(ii) Systematic block-to-block anti-rodent control programmes covering the whole district are carried out on a quarterly basis.
(iii) Weekly visits are paid by Pest Control staff to rodent black spots: weekly visits to refuse collection points; and monthly visits to godown and cargo handling areas.
(iv) Periodic anti-rodent campaigns are carried out at selected areas. The aim is to reduce as much as possible the rat population in the urban areas.
To give one example: Tsim Sha Tsui East is a newly developed commercial area with hotels, commercial buildings, and many food premises. The buildings are interspersed with open grounds, amenity plots, tree pits, and flower beds, providing potential harbourage for rats. In the first quarter of 1985, an extensive anti-rodent campaign was carried out in this area. As a result, 99 dead rats were collected and 151 rat holes as well as 40 tree pits were filled. To prevent the rodent problem in this area from deteriorating, the Tsim Sha Tsui Area Committee has agreed in principle to participate in an anti-rodent campaign planned by the USD District Office for December 85-January 86 for the Tsim Sha Tsui East area. The objectives of this campaign are to ensure proper storage of food and food waste, and the provision of rodent-proofing measures in hotels and food premises.
May I take this opportunity to appeal to all restaurateurs and others concerned with supplying food to the public to co-operate with us, to keep their premises clean, and to let us know immediately they notice any signs of rats so that the USD can take the necessary action to keep the rat problem under control.
MR. KWAN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, two supplementary questions. First, Mr. SULKE in the third paragraph of his reply stated very clearly that the food waste is disposed of between mid-night and 9.00 a.m. the following morning and it could be transported elsewhere. In the past, do we have health inspectors on duty at night to pay attention to the treatment of food waste because the restaurants usually operate in daytime and very seldom until mid-night? If the food waste is dealt with when our Health Inspectors are off duty, then I think they should certainly be on duty then to check the situation.
As to the second supplementary question, in these two districts, Mr. SULKE said that there were 3,784 rats; do they feed on the waste from the restaurants or what do they eat? You will see that the rats have been there for quite a long time, and I hope Mr. SULKE can answer these two questions.
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MR. SULKE (in English): Mr. Chairman, I must say that Mr. KWAN must be a very clean-living gentleman, because I do know that restaurants are open, quite a few of them, until six o'clock in the morning, and our food inspectors do go to restaurants at all hours of the day and night, and that is part of their job, so there are inspectors around even after mid-night.
The point about moving the waste at night is very important for my colleagues in the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, because of the use of the trucks which have to be used during the day to clean streets and can only do this sort of thing at night.
The second part of Mr. KWAN's question, rats are, as far as I know, the most adaptable mammal in the world, even more adaptable than human beings. Normally, the ratio of the rat population and the human population is something like 6:1 all over the world. If he will look at the report we have just received, which is tabled today, you will find that only in one month, we have managed to find 4,500 dead rats in the urban areas in Hong Kong. Whereas in the two districts we are talking about, 3,500 were found in the whole year, that gives him the ratio.
Rats live on anything; I mean they love, for instance, cable installations, which is why there often are short circuits where there shouldn't be. I have known some very large buildings where the lift stops because the rats have eaten the installation. So rats don't only live off the food in restaurants; therefore, they are extremely difficult to control, and I did say in my original answer that most of the rat complaints are in fact coming from homes rather than from restaurants, and there is an ample lot of food at home, and we also have to tell everybody to make sure that at home they should keep their food under lock and key.
Mr. Marvin Cheung (in English): Mr. Chairman, Mr. SULKE advised us that there are district Health Inspectors to carry out inspections of these two districts, but no warning letters have been issued or prosecutions taken out against improper disposal of food waste in these two districts in question. May I ask how many inspectors are employed in these two districts, how many establishments they have to cover, how frequently do they pay visits to these establishments, and how much time they spend on each of these visits?
MR. SULKE (in English): Mr. Chairman, I am afraid I would need notice of that one. At a rough estimate, I would say that we probably got something like inspectors in those particular areas, but for the rest of the questions, I really cannot answer, and therefore, I will forward your questions to the department and give you a written reply.
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collected. During the period 1.1.85 to 31.10.85, 355 rat complaints (only one of Idead rats were collected in these two districts as compared with 384 rai
which was directly in connection with food premises)
were received and 3870
complaints and 3 784 dead rats collected during the same
period in 1984. These
figures suggest that the rat problem in these areas is being contained. The department is of the view that the present situation will not seriously affec
environmental hygiene in the areas in question.
In answer to the third part of the question, I am assured by the departmen
that the measures being taken by the district staff include:-
(i) Prompt response to complaints: depending on the degree of infestation discovered on an initial visit, either trapping or poisoning is undertaker. (ii) Systematic block-to-block anti-rodent control programmes covering the
whole district are carried out on a quarterly basis.
(iii) Weekly visits are paid by Pest Control staff to rodent black spots:
weekly visits to refuse collection points; and monthly visits to godow and cargo handling areas.
(iv) Periodic anti-rodent campaigns are carried out at selected areas. The a is to reduce as much as possible the rat population in the urban areas To give one example: Tsim Sha Tsui East is a newly developed commercia area with hotels, commercial buildings and many food premises. The buildings are interspersed with open grounds, amenity plots, tree pits and flexer beds, providing potential harbourage for rats. In the first quarter of 1985, dr. extensive anti-rodent campaign was carried out in this area. As a result. 99 dead rats were collected and 151 rat holes as well as 40 tree pits were filled. To prevent the rodent problem in this area from deteriorating, the Tsim Sha Tsui Area Committee has agreed in principle to participate in an anti-rodent campaign planned by the USD District Office for December 85-January 86 for the Tsim Sha Tsui East area. The objectives of this campaign are to ensure proper storage of food and food waste, and the provision of rodent proofing measures in hotels and food premises. May I take this opportunity to appeal to all restaurar: owners and others concerned with supplying food to the public to co-operas with us, to keep their premises clean, and to let us know immediately they notice any signs of rats so that the USD can take the necessary action to keep the rat problem under control.
MR. KWAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, two supplementary questions. Five of all, Mr. SULKE in the third paragraph of his reply stated very clearly that the food waste is disposed of between mid-night and 9.00 a.m. the following morning and it could be transported elsewhere. In the past, do we have health inspectors of duty at night to pay attention to the treatment of food waste because the restaurants usually operate in day time and very seldom until mid-night. If the food waste is dealt with when our Health Inspectors are off duty, then I think tha should certainly be on duty then to check the situation. As to the second
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supplementary question, in these two districts, Mr. SULKE said that there were 3784 rats, do they feed on the waste from the restaurants or what do they eat? You will see that the rats have been there for quite a long time and I hope Mr. SULKE
can answer these two questions.
MR. SULKE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I must say that Mr. KWAN must be a sery clean living gentleman, because I do know that restaurants are open, quite a few of them, until six o'clock in the morning and our food inspectors do go
to restaurants at all hours of the day and night and that is part of their job, so there are inspectors around even after mid-night. The point about moving the waste at night is very important for my colleagues in the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, because of the use of the trucks which have to be ased during the day to clean streets and can only do this sort of thing at night. The second part of Mr. KWAN's question, rats are, as far as I know, the most adaptable mammal in the world, even more adaptable than human beings. Normally the ratio of the rat population and the human population are Something like 6:1 all over the world. If he will look at the report we have just received which is tabled today, you will find that only in one month, we have managed to find 4 500 dead rats in the urban areas in Hong Kong. Whereas in the two districts we are talking about 3 500 were found in the whole year, that etes him the ratio. Rats live on anything, I mean they love, for instance, cable installations, which is why there often are short circuits where there shouldn't he. I have known some very large buildings where the lift stops because the rats have eaten the installation. So rats don't only live off the food in restaurants, therefore, they are extremely difficult to control and I did say in my original answer that most of the rat complaints are in fact coming from homes rather than from restaurants, and there is an ample lot of food at home and we also have to tell everybody to make sure that at home they should keep their food under lock and key. I do not think that I can go any further on that one.
Mr. Marvin Cheung (in English):—Mr. Chairman, Mr. SULKE advised us that there are district Health Inspectors to carry out inspections of these two districts but no warning letters have had been issued or prosecutions taken out against improper disposal of food waste in these two districts in question. May I ask how many inspectors are employed in these two districts, how many establishments they have to cover, how frequent do they pay visits to these establishments and how much time they spent on each of these visits.
MR. SULKE (in English): Mr. Chairman, I am afraid I would need notice of that one. At a rough estimate, I would say that we probably got something like inspectors in those particular areas but for the rest of the questions, I really cannot answer and, therefore, I will forward your questions to the department and give you a written reply.
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