1986 — Page 182

322

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

we need more men on the job and that is why we have called in the police advisers to advise us on the deployment of the staff we have and also to advise us what additional staff we may need and then we may have to come back to the Urban Council to see if we can get the personnel necessary. If we do need more, and we have to get advice from the Police in due course, we may well be advised to deploy in a different way, so I don't think we can make much improvement until we get the police report which we hope to have at the beginning of the April.

THE HONOURABLE HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Govern- ment has assigned two senior Police's officers to study how much more close is the co-operation needed between the USD and the Police. Does Mrs. Tu have any idea how soon would the report be ready and for some actions to take place?

MRS. ELSIE TU (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as I have just mentioned the first report will be at the beginning of April. The Police are working very fast and much faster than we expected. They promised the report by June but now we are going to have it by April. But we have no idea what they will advise. We have to wait until that moment.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in the answer it is mentioned that the GDT when carrying out their duties or when carrying out raids might incur the injuries on passers-by. When we carry out duties apart from raiding the hawkers, do we have special measures to take care of the safety of the pedestrians and passers-by? Is this our responsibility?

CHAIRMAN (in English):-The supplementary is making it difficult for VCUC.

MRS. ELSIE TU (in English):-I think it is a little bit out of the question, Mr. Chairman. You are asking what special measures we can take to protect the public. If we can stop the whole question of operating that will be the best kind of safeguard for the public. But as long as people insist on hawking and running when they see the GDT, we are going to have this danger. I think if Mr. CHAN would like to come and hear our discussions on these points in the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee, he might get more information. But there is a case under jurisdiction and I would not like to mention it at this point.

2. MR. CHAN KWOK-MING asked the following question (in Cantonese):- During weekends and holidays, metered parking spaces on many streets are taken up by hawkers' vans to sell goods. How will the Council deal with these unlicensed hawkers?

MRS. ELSIE TU, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the use of metered parking spaces by vans from which goods are hawked and asks how the Council deals with them.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Page 182 of 201

323

GDT staff have attempted to take action in the past against such unlicensed hawkers. The GDT's efforts, however, have been frustrated by rulings handed down by magistrates when the cases concerned went for trial.

For example, in one case involving a hawker selling restricted food without permission, the Court ordered seizure of the goods but ordered the return of the vehicle on the grounds that, whilst the hawker was guilty of selling restricted food, the charge of illegal hawking had not been proved.

In other cases the operators of some fast food vans sell coupons in advance and in another place, such coupons being later exchanged by customers for lunch boxes which are, in law, merely being 'delivered' to customers from the vans on the streets.

And, in cases where hawkers use parked vans at metered spaces simply for storing the item they sell on the pavement, the hawkers can only be arrested for obstructing the pavement, and not for hawking from their vans.

It follows that the legal position, from an enforcement point of view, is unsatisfactory. The Department is accordingly examining how this situation can be corrected.

3. THE HONOURABLE HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question (in Cantonese): To what extent is the use of monosodium glutamate in restaurants and other food premises viewed as harmful to the health and wellbeing of residents, and what preventive or other measures are taken in this regard?

MRS. CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a very common ingredient for food preparation, particularly in restaurants and eating premises. It is a constituent of protein and comprises some 20 per cent of ingested protein. As a flavour enhancer, it has been very thoroughly evaluated for its safety in use in food by the World Health Organization. Although rapid absorption of high doses of MSG has been known to produce in some people temporary discomfort, the World Health Organization however maintained that there was little in research data to suggest a long-term toxic hazard. The contention that MSG as an additive in the diet could lead to brain damage was also inconclusive. Therefore the World Health Organization has given MSG since 1971 an unconditional Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0–120 mg/kg body weight, additional to the intake from all dietary sources.

Hong Kong, like other countries, follows the recommendation of the World Health Organization and considers that, based on the information presently available on MSG, there are no cogent reasons for prohibiting the use of it in food. However, in view of the fact that rapid absorption of large doses of MSG may produce temporary allergic reaction in some persons, advisory letters have been issued to the food trade enlisting their co-operation to use the flavour enhancer sparingly and discriminately.