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DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-In general, there are about sixty litter containers in the Statue Square area but as I noticed from last night some additional plastic bags were also around, so it is very difficult to fix the number of litter bins needed but I think the Department will see to it that enough will be provided for the need.
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, thank you. I think besides increasing the number of litter bins and staff working there, has the Select Committee considered to launch more effective publicity campaigns so that the Filipino maids can exercise their self-discipline.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, yes. In the Statue Square area, we display notices in the three different languages-Chinese, English and Tagalog in the prominent areas to remind the public to keep the place clean. As I have already mentioned, prosecution will be taken against the offenders.
5. MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese):- The large number of hawkers hawking in the subway leading from Chater Road to the Star Ferry during holidays affects the flow of pedestrians and causes congestion. Has the Council noticed the situation and what action will be taken?
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question asks if Council has noticed the large number of hawkers who cause congestion in the Chater Road Subway area during holiday periods and what action is proposed to deal with this situation.
The General Duties Team staff of Central District are aware of the situation and have been taking action. The hawkers trading in the subway leading from Chater Road to the Star Ferry during Sundays and Public Holidays are mainly unlicensed hawkers selling various goods attractive to the large number of people gathered there. Periodic raiding operations have been carried out to curb these activities. Although the hawkers adopt ‘cat and mouse' tactics to try and avoid our enforcement staff, 6 arrests and 11 seizures of hawkers goods were made during the past 3 months.
In addition to this the enforcement staff also made 11 arrests and 84 seizures in the immediate vicinity i.e. in Statue Square and Edinburgh Place.
Similar law enforcement action by the department's staff will continue.
MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as Mr. LEE said in his reply, the USD staff has carried out enforcement action but from what we saw yesterday, the situation is still very serious, so I would like to ask whether the actions taken are adequate or not? Do we have plans to improve the situation or to have more frequent raids.
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MR. LEE CHIK-YUET (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I have made site inspections in the past few weeks and I am not very satisfied with that situation. I am sure the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will agree that the USD should take further actions. On the other hand, I feel that we could perhaps do some publicity works although we admit the Filipino maids do play a very important role in Hong Kong. Since they are living in Hong Kong, they should obey the laws and regulations in Hong Kong including the hawker by-laws. They might not be aware of all these regulations so I think we should publicize the hawking regulations in order to let them know what are legal or illegal. I think the publicity campaign will serve as an education to them. I would like to ask the Select Committee to discuss this and ask the Department to take follow-up action.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as these hawkers have sold special items to the Filipino maids, would it not be better for us not to carry out a cat and mouse game but to license some of them and control them, for instance, to keep them on one side of the tunnel only.
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, this is a very basic suggestion. I am afraid I can't give you a definite reply whether this can be done or not. I will certainly refer this to the Select Committee and in particular to the Working Party chaired by Mrs. Tu to see whether licensing is possible or not.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Joseph, you have asked some questions about hawkers. Would you like to repeat? It might be more relevant to this question and answer.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Mr. LEE has already answered part of the question. The Filipino maids are also hawking in our parks in addition to the subway leading from Chater Road to the Star Ferry. As Mr. SULKE said, the Filipino maids buy their own goods from the hawkers, we may perhaps find a vacant site for them to buy and sell temporarily. I think it is better to allow them to hawk in parks.
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as this is a basic suggestion which is similar to my reply to Mr. SULKE's question, I cannot say yes or no today but I think many of us will agree that we have a very congested area in Central during Sundays and holidays. If we set up a temporary market during Sundays that this will really involve a change in our policy. I am afraid I can not say today whether this is feasible or not.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, has the Chairman of Markets and Street Traders Select Committee considered that if we grant licences to the Filipino maids, it might be contrary to the fact the Immigration Department only allows them to enter Hong Kong as Filipino maids? The Liquor Licensing
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-In general, there are about sixty litter containers in the Statue Square area but as I noticed from last night some additional plastic bags were also around, so it is very difficult to fix the number of litter bins needed but I think the Department will see to it that enough will be provided for the need.
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, thank you. I think besides increasing the number of litter bins and staff working there, has the Select Committee considered to launch more effective publicity campaigns so that the Filipino maids can exercise their self-discipline.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, yes. In the Statue Square area, we display notices in the three different languages-Chinese, English and Tagalog in the prominent areas to remind the public to keep the place clean. As I have already mentioned, prosecution will be taken against the offenders.
5. MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese):- The large number of hawkers hawking in the subway leading from Chater Road to the Star Ferry during holidays affects the flow of pedestrians and causes congestion. Has the Council noticed the situation and what action will be taken?
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question asks if Council has noticed the large number of hawkers who cause congestion in the Chater Road Subway area during holiday periods and what action is proposed to deal with this situation.
The General Duties Team staff of Central District are aware of the situation and have been taking action. The hawkers trading in the subway leading from Chater Road to the Star Ferry during Sundays and Public Holidays are mainly unlicensed hawkers selling various goods attractive to the large number of people gathered there. Periodic raiding operations have been carried out to curb these activities. Although the hawkers adopt ‘cat and mouse' tactics to try and avoid our enforcement staff, 6 arrests and 11 seizures of hawkers goods were made during the past 3 months.
In addition to this the enforcement staff also made 11 arrests and 84 seizures in the immediate vicinity i.e. in Statue Square and Edinburgh Place.
Similar law enforcement action by the department's staff will continue.
MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as Mr. LEE said in his reply, the USD staff has carried out enforcement action but from what we saw yesterday, the situation is still very serious, so I would like to ask whether the actions taken are adequate or not? Do we have plans to improve the situation or to have more frequent raids.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 90 of 201
139
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I have made site inspec- tions in the past few weeks and I am not very satisfied with that situation. I am sure the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee will agree that the USD should take further actions. On the other hand, I feel that we could perhaps do some publicity works although we admit the Filipino maids do play a very important role in Hong Kong. Since they are living in Hong Kong, they should obey the laws and regulations in Hong Kong including the hawker by-laws. They might not be aware of all these regulations so I think we should publicize the hawking regulations in order to let them know what are legal or illegal. I think the publicity campaign will serve as an education to them. I would like to ask the Select Committee to discuss this and ask the Department to take follow-
up action.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as these hawkers have sold special items to the Filipino maids, would it not be better for us not to carry out a cat and mouse game but to license some of them and control them, for instance, to keep them on one side of the tunnel only.
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, this is a very basic suggestion. I am afraid I can't give you a definite reply whether this can be done or not. I will certainly refer this to the Select Committee and in particular to the Working Party chaired by Mrs. Tu to see whether licensing is possible or not.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Joseph, you have asked some questions about hawkers. Would you like to repeat? It might be more relevant to this question and answer.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Mr. LEE has already answered part of the question. The Filipino maids are also hawking in our parks in addition to the subway leading from Chater Road to the Star Ferry. As Mr. SULKE said, the Filipino maids buy their own goods from the hawkers, we may perhaps find a vacant site for them to buy and sell temporarily. I think it is better to allow them to hawk in parks.
MR. LEE CHIK-YUET (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as this is a basic sugges- tion which is similar to my reply to Mr. SULKE's question, I cannot say yes or no today but I think many of us will agree that we have a very congested area in Central during Sundays and holidays. If we set up a temporary market during Sundays that this will really involve a change in our policy. I am afraid I can not say today whether this is feasible or not.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, has the Chairman of Markets and Street Traders Select Committee considered that if we grant licences to the Filipino maids, it might be contrary to the fact the Immigration Department only allows them to enter Hong Kong as Filipino maids? The Liquor Licensing
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