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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The proposal to authorise physical closure of unlicensed restaurants involves serious invasions of rights in property and this necessitated extensive consultations between the Municipal Services Branch, the Attorney General's Chambers, the Police and the two Councils.
A draft amendment Bill was cleared by the Law Draftsman on 22 March 1988 and it is anticipated that the Bill would be placed before the Legislative Council in June this year subject to it being cleared by both Councils.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I am sure Sir Humphrey APPLEBY would be proud of that answer. If my friend would turn to page 13, table 3.6 in the Report, that is lying in front of us, outstanding application for licences, there are 256 general restaurant licences and 68 light refreshment restaurant licences applications outstanding. Out of these, over 50 per cent have been outstanding for more than 6 months and more than 20 per cent have been outstanding for over 1 year with some outstanding for 2 or even 3 years. This delay in issuing licences seems to me to encourage breaking of the Law and what is the Department doing in order to handle this quite unacceptable back-log of handling applications for restaurant and light refreshment restaurant licences?
(Mr. CHAN Kwok-ming arrived at 2:45 p.m.)
CHAIRMAN (in English):—That's straying a bit from your question. Your question was about amending the law so that unlicensed restaurants could be closed. Instead of remaining open it appears that you are asking about the delay in the issue of licences. Is that relevant?
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I think it is very relevant because these restaurants, I think, are breaking the Law because we are so slow in licensing them in the first place.
MR. L. H. KWAN (in English):—The point has been well taken by the Council as well as from the Urban Services Department and perhaps I would inform my learned friend that in this stage prosecution is also being contemplated at every interval as well as the improvement or amending of the legislature.
4. MR. PETER C. K. CHAN on behalf of Miss FOK PUI-YEE asked the following question (in English): It is noticed that railings are now installed at the entrances of public playgrounds, parks and rest areas run by the Urban Council in order to prohibit mobile hawkers from gaining entry. But unfortunately these railings are depriving the right of the physically handicapped from using these leisure areas. May I ask if the responsible authority is aware of this and if so whether any improvements are being contemplated or whether this will be given due consideration when new leisure grounds are planned in future?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question concerns access for the disabled to public pleasure grounds and gardens and asks whether the Council is aware of the problems caused by measures to prevent the intrusion of hawkers; and if access for the disabled is taken into account when new leisure grounds are planned.
Bollards or crash gates are installed as a standard feature in the majority of entrances to new parks and playground. They are designed to restrict entry to these facilities by hawkers pushing carts as the storage of hawker paraphernalia has in the past proved to be a problem.
These devices do not however restrict access to members of the public nor to the majority of the disabled. The only exceptions are the disabled who are wheelchair-bound. In recognition of this, all bollards and crash gates are designed to be removable and parkkeepers are always pleased to assist the disabled to gain entry to the facility by unlocking them.
All new leisure facilities, both active and passive, are designed to allow easy access for the disabled. Features such as lifts, disabled toilets and ramps are now installed as standard features. As regards older venues, facilities for the disabled are provided on a need basis. The Department maintains contact with groups representing the disabled and is always pleased to act upon their proposals.
STATEMENT BY MR. WALTER M. SULKE, CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE SELECT COMMITTEE
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, although our financial year only closed on 31 March, less than two weeks ago, because we are now computerised I am already now able to make an initial statement about the financial out-turn of the fiscal year 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988. But, of course, I have to warn members that the figures I will now give are unaudited and in view of the very short time since the closing of the books could be subject to final, albeit minor, corrections. Compliments are due to our very efficient Chief Treasury Accountant and his staff for getting these figures out so fast.
And as usual there is good news and bad news. The good news concerns the last financial year. The bad news concerns this and the coming financial year. And perhaps in this case we should take the bad news first. We will have to pay out in the coming year 1988/89 an unbudgeted pay increase which the Government have awarded to all model Scale I staff retroactive from 1 April 1987 which will be in the region of HK$70 million. Also we can expect a further and possible similar pay rise for our 17 thousand civil servants backdated to 1 April 1988. Also building costs have risen and are rising quite considerably faster than expected and will therefore increase our capital expenditure. I am drawing members' attention to this because it emphasises that we do need a
Page 7 of 182
7
Page 7 of 182
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The proposal to authorise physical closure of unlicensed restaurants involves serious invasions of rights in property and this necessitated extensive con- sultations between the Municipal Services Branch, the Attorney General's Chambers, the Police and the two Councils.
A draft amendment Bill was cleared by the Law Draftsman on 22 March 1988 and it is anticipated that the Bill would be placed before the Legislative Council in June this year subject to it being cleared by both Councils."
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I am sure Sir Humphrey APPLEBY would be proud of that answer. If my friend would turn to page 13, table 3.6 in the Report, that is lying in front of us, outstanding application for licences, there are 256 general restaurant licences and 68 light refreshment restaurant licences applications outstanding. Out of these, over 50 per cent have been outstanding for more than 6 months and more than 20 per cent have been outstanding for over 1 year with some outstanding for 2 or even 3 years. This delay in issuing licences seems to me to encourage breaking of the Law and what is the Department doing in order to handle this quite unacceptable back-log of handling applications for restaurant and light refreshment restaurant licences?
(Mr. CHAN Kwok-ming arrived at 2.45 p.m.)
CHAIRMAN (in English):-That's straying a bit from your question. Your question was about amending the law so that unlicenced restaurants could be closed. Instead of remaining open it appears that you are asking about the delay in the issue of licences. Is that relevant?
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I think it is very relevant because these restaurants, I think, are breaking the Law because we are so slow in licensing them in the first place.
MR. L. H. KWAN (in English):---The point has been well taken by the Council as well as from the Urban Services Department and perhaps I would inform my learned friend that in this stage prosecution is also being contemplated at every interval as well as the improvement or amending of the legislature.
4. MR. PETER C. K. CHAN on behalf of Miss FOK PUI-YEE asked the following question (in English): It is noticed that railings are now installed at the entrances of public playgrounds, parks and rest areas run by the Urban Council in order to prohibit mobile hawkers from gaining entry. But unfortunately these railings are depriving the right of the physically handicapped from using these leisure areas. May I ask if the responsible authority is aware of this and if so whether any improvements are being contemplated or whether this will be given due consideration when new leisure grounds are planned in future?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 7 of 182
7
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns access for the disabled to public pleasure grounds and gardens and asks whether the Council is aware of the problems caused by measures to prevent the intrusion of hawkers; and if access for the disabled is taken into account when new leisure grounds are
planned.
Bollards or crash gates are installed as a standard feature in the majority of entrances to new parks and playground. They are designed to restrict entry to these facilities by hawkers pushing carts as the storage of hawker paraphenalia has in the past proved to be a problem.
These devices do not however restrict access to members of the public nor to the majority of the disabled. The only exceptions are the disabled who are wheelchair-bound. In recognition of this, all bollards and crash gates are designed to be removable and parkkeepers are always pleased to assist the disabled to gain entry to the facility by unlocking them.
All new leisure facilities, both active and passive, are designed to allow easy access for the disabled. Features such as lifts, disabled toilets and ramps are now installed as standard features. As regards older venues, facilities for the disabled are provided on a need basis. The Department maintains contact with groups representing the disabled and is always pleased to act upon their proposals.
STATEMENT BY MR. WALTER M. SULKE, CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE SELECT COMMITTEE
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, although our financial year only closed on 31 March, less than two weeks ago, because we are now computerised I am already now able to make an initial statement about the financial out-turn of the fiscal year 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988. But, of course, I have to warn members that the figures I will now give are unaudited and in view of the very short time since the closing of the books could be subject to final, albeit minor, corrections. Compliments are due to our very efficient Chief Treasury Accountant and his staff for getting these figures out so fast.
And as usual there is good news and bad news. The good news concerns the last financial year. The bad news concerns this and the coming financial year. And perhaps in this case we should take the bad news first. We will have to pay out in the coming year 1988/89 an unbudgeted pay increase which the Government have awarded to all model Scale I staff retroactive from 1 April 1987 which will be in the region of HK$70 million. Also we can expect a further and possible similar pay rise for our 17 thousand civil servants backdated to 1 April 1988. Also building costs have risen and are rising quite considerably faster than expected and will therefore increase our capital expenditure. I am drawing members attention to this because it emphasises that we do need a
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