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136
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 1990 were confirmed.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of November 1990.
QUESTIONS
1.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU asked the following question (in English):--/ member of the public has reported that hawkers of non-Chinese origin frequently operate outside MTR Stations in Tsim Sha Tsui, near Nathan Road and Jordan Road.
Do these hawkers have licences? Which Department is responsible for controlling them, and what action if any has been taken to stop this trade if it is illegal?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question concerns the presence of hawkers of non-Chinese origin operating outside MTR stations in Tsim Sha Tsui and asks what action has been taken to stop any illegal activities. The Department is aware that a small number of hawkers of non-Chinese origin can be found, usually during the evening, attempting to trade along Nathan Road and other busy streets in Yau Tsim District.
Previous enforcement action taken by the Urban Services Department and the Police has revealed that such hawkers are non-residents of various nationalities, and usually visitors to Hong Kong. It follows that they have no hawker licences and are thus trading illegally.
Enforcement action is taken regularly by the Police at major thoroughfares such as Nathan Road and Jordan Road, and by the General Duties Team of the Department in other nearby streets, to stop anyone who seeks to hawk illegally, and irrespective of nationality. Nevertheless, the scale of illegal hawking by foreign nationals is small when compared with the number of local hawkers in the Tsim Sha Tsui area.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
137
According to information provided by the Police, 27 non-resident hawkers operating in the Yau Tsim areas were arrested in the last six months during Police operations. Over the same period, the General Duties Team of the Yau Tsim District also arrested 9 such hawkers. The most recent arrests were made on 28 October and 13 November 1990, both at the same location outside the Nathan Road MTR station near Austin Road. In each case, the offenders were subsequently convicted and fined, and the items of trade forfeited by the court.
The Department will continue to take enforcement action against illegal hawkers irrespective of their nationalities and, in joint effort with the Police, will step up action at hawker blackspots as and when necessary.
(Mr. Daniel K. T. WONG and Miss Cecilia L. Y. YEUNG arrived at 3.32 p.m. and 3.33 p.m. respectively.)
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, because some members of the public have the idea that these hawkers are entirely the responsibility of the Urban Services Department, could the Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee please clarify that part of my question which asks which Department is responsible for controlling illegal hawking on these main roads at this time in the evening?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Urban Services Department and the Police do cooperate in controlling illegal hawking but as a rule, the Police pay greater attention to such illegal activities on main thoroughfares.
MR. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in fact this phenomenon does not merely happen in the Yau Tsim district. Actually, this also happens in the evening in Causeway Bay area. Visitors, particularly those come from Nepal, do some trading in Hong Kong. Do we have to liaise with the relevant Departments, particularly the Immigration Department to see if we can cooperate to prevent it from further deteriorating?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I could have that point considered by the Select Committee and the Urban Services Department. But under the Council's policy, no consideration would be given to the nationality of an applicant in the processing of an application for a hawker licence or in the control of illegal hawking. But the suggestion made by Mr. MAN could be referred to the proper authorities.
2. MR. FUNG KWONG-CHUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese):—I have recently learned that it is a common practice in indoor games halls managed by the Urban Services Department for the 'clearing of courts' (badminton and squash courts) to take place five minutes before the end of the last session (from 10 p.m. or 10.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.) in the evening. This not only deprives the hirers' right of using the entire session, but also denies hirers' use of the changing rooms
Page 72 of 95
Page 72 of 95
Page 72 of 95
136
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 6 November 1990 were confirmed.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and
Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of November 1990.
QUESTIONS
1.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU asked the following question (in English):--/ member of the public has reported that hawkers of non-Chinese origin frequently operate outside MTR Stations in Tsim Sha Tsui, near Nathan Road and Jordan Road.
Do these hawkers have licences? Which Department is responsible for controlling them, and what action if any has been taken to stop this trade if it is illegal?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question concerns the presence of hawkers of non-Chinese origin operating outside MTR stations in Tsim Sha Tsui and asks what action has been taken to stop any illegal activities. The Department is aware that a small number of hawkers of non-Chinese origin can be found, usually during the evening, attempting to trade along Nathan Road and other busy streets in Yau Tsim District.
Previous enforcement action taken by the Urban Services Department and the Police has revealed that such hawkers are non-residents of various nationalities, and usually visitors to Hong Kong. It follows that they have no hawker licences and are thus trading illegally.
Enforcement action is taken regularly by the Police at major thoroughfares such as Nathan Road and Jordan Road, and by the General Duties Team of the Department in other nearby streets, to stop anyone who seeks to hawk illegally, and irrespective of nationality. Nevertheless, the scale of illegal hawking by foreign nationals is small when compared with the number of local hawkers in the Tsim Sha Tsui area.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
137
According to information provided by the Police, 27 non-resident hawkers operating in the Yau Tsim areas were arrested in the last six months during Police operations. Over the same period, the General Duties Team of the Yau Tsim District also arrested 9 such hawkers. The most recent arrests were made on 28 October and 13 November 1990, both at the same location outside the Nathan Road MTR station near Austin Road. In each case, the offenders were subsequently convicted and fined, and the items of trade forfeited by the court.
The Department will continue to take enforcement action against illegal hawkers irrespective of their nationalities and, in joint effort with the Police, will step up action at hawker blackspots as and when necessary.
(Mr. Daniel K. T. WONG and Miss Cecilia L. Y. YEUNG arrived at 3.32 p.m. and 3.33 p.m. respectively.)
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, because some members of the public have the idea that these hawkers are entirely the responsibility of the Urban Services Department, could the Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee please clarify that part of my question which asks which Department is responsible for controlling illegal hawking on these main roads at this time in the evening?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Urban Services Department and the Police do cooperate in controlling illegal hawking but as a rule, the Police pay greater attention to such illegal activities on main thoroughfares.
MR. MAN SAI-CHEONG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in fact this phenomenon does not merely happen in the Yau Tsim district. Actually, this also happens in the evening in Causeway Bay area. Visitors, particularly those come from Nepal, do some trading in Hong Kong. Do we have to liaise with the relevant Departments, particularly the Immigration Department to see if we can cooperate to prevent it from further deteriorating?
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I could have that point considered by the Select Committee and the Urban Services Department. But under the Council's policy, no consideration would be given to the nationality of an applicant in the processing of an application for a hawker licence or in the control of illegal hawking. But the suggestion made by Mr. MAN could be referred to the proper authorities.
2. MR. FUNG KWONG-CHUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese):—I have recently learned that it is a common practice in indoor games halls managed by the Urban Services Department for the 'clearing of courts' (badminton and squash courts) to take place five minutes before the end of the last session (from 10 p.m. or 10.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.) in the evening. This not only deprives the hirers' right of using the entire session, but also denies hirers' use of the changing rooms
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