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reached the public's hands. So again, our health inspectors will pick out any smuggled meat which escapes their attention at the retail outlet places.
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, according to the answer given by Dr. LEUNG, it is said that up to now, the Department has not discovered any unstamped meat in urban area and Dr. LEUNG has mentioned the measures (a), (b) and (c) to stop the importation of illegal meat. Of course, I have the confidence that our staff have enough training and efficiency to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, the measures (a), (b) and (c) only deal with licensed fresh provision shops or market stalls and no mention is made to the illegal hawkers on the street to sell illegal meat in the urban area. There are some illegal hawkers on the street selling this sort of meat. So I would like to ask whether it is true that the Department does not have any concrete measures to deal with this problem. Secondly, if it is true, can the Public Health Select Committee and the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee have special discussions to deal with these illegal hawkers on the street who sell illegal meat. It is because if they sell unhygienic meat, this will affect public health to a great extent.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-I view this as a suggestion for improvement rather than a question. I agree that in my reply the departmental staff, our health inspectors, inspect all the shops in our markets. But during their routine duties, when they come across any illegal hawkers selling unstamped meat, the hawkers will be liable to prosecution. It does not rule out the possibility that health inspectors have just concentrated their attention alone on the market stalls. But if they come across any unstamped meat at any place, they will prosecute the offenders.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Do I understand the position to be this, that if I bought a leg of pork from a retail outlet dealer, would it be stamped? Is that the position?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-As all our Councillors will be aware, especially for those who have visited our slaughterhouse, before the carcase is put into the delivery van, there is a big chop on the carcase. But of course if you buy only a tael or two of the pork, you would not see the stamp, which is in blue colour and is not on the whole portion of the pig. I am afraid if you buy one catty of pork, you may not be able to see the stamp. After all, the stamp is on the skin. If you buy the viscera, something inside the body, so again you will not be able to see the stamp.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-In other words, I must rely upon the efficiency of the Urban Services Department at the wholesale market itself.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—Yes, it is.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, what Dr. LEUNG has just mentioned is the carcase. As regards poultry which has not been slaughtered, it does not have any stamps. From the press, we know that some outlaws have smuggled poultry into Hong Kong, do we have any means to identify this smuggled poultry so as to safeguard public health?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-I really have no answer for this. Poultry being much smaller and even after killing, would not be stamped. We have no way of finding any smuggled or non-smuggled poultry from China. I cannot answer that question with regard to poultry smuggled into the territory.
2. MR. LAM CHAK-PIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):-Various 'environmental protection campaigns' are in full swing throughout the world. With the global concern over environmental protection, could the Council make use of this opportunity to do itself credit by making a positive and concrete response?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question is about how the Council could make any positive response to support 'environmental protection campaigns'.
Environmental protection is a general term which covers many areas of work. Waste collection, street sweeping and activities of the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign performed or organised by the Council are already key elements within the ambit of environmental protection. If waste recycling and reduction is becoming the aim of the Administration as the Waste Disposal Authority, then as and when this might impact directly upon the method and means of collection, additional resources would undoubtedly have to be provided to the Council. These issues are still under consideration within Government.
The Council is the Collection Authority responsible for the collection of domestic waste in the urban area for delivery to disposal sites for treatment by the disposal authority, which is the Government. Its resources are therefore dedicated to maintaining an efficient collection service with the least disturbance to the environment and sanitary nuisances minimised as far as practicable. The Council is not charged with responsibility for waste treatment which may include recycling and reduction; nor given the resources to do so. Furthermore, the Council has been given no authority to require or direct households to sort or separate different types of waste. Any such initiative in this area, legislative or otherwise, should appropriately come from the Administration as the Waste Disposal Authority. Although the urge to embark upon an endeavour such a waste recycling is very laudable, the implications are complex. Moreover, any initiatives must take into account the Council's resources and its defined areas of statutory responsibility.
The Administration is the authority for environmental protection in general has its own concerned departments and advisory bodies. The Environmental
Page 91 of 95
Page 91 of
258
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
reached the public's hands. So again, our health inspectors will pick out any smuggled meat which escapes their attention at the retail outlet places.
MR. PAO PING-WING (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, according to the answer given by Dr. LEUNG, it is said that up to now, the Department has not discovered any unstamped meat in urban area and Dr. LEUNG has mentioned the measures (a), (b) and (c) to stop the importation of illegal meat. Of course, I have the confidence that our staff have enough training and efficiency to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, the measures (a), (b) and (c) only deal with licensed fresh provision shops or market stalls and no mention is made to the illegal hawkers on the street to sell illegal meat in the urban area. There are some illegal hawkers on the street selling this sort of meat. So I would like to ask whether it is true that the Department does not have any concrete measures to deal with this problem. Secondly, if it is true, can the Public Health Select Committee and the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee have special discussions to deal with these illegal hawkers on the street who sell illegal meat. It is because if they sell unhygienic meat, this will affect public health to a great extent.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-I view this as a suggestion for improvement rather than a question. I agree that in my reply the departmental staff, our health inspectors, inspect all the shops in our markets. But during their routine duties, when they come across any illegal hawkers selling unstamped meat, the hawkers will be liable to prosecution. It does not rule out the possibility that health inspectors have just concentrated their attention alone on the market stalls. But if they come across any unstamped meat at any place, they will prosecute the offenders.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Do I understand the position to be this, that if I bought a leg of pork from a retail outlet dealer, would it be stamped? Is that the position?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-As all our Councillors will be aware, especially for those who have visited our slaughterhouse, before the carcase is put into the delivery van, there is a big chop on the carcase. But of course if you buy only a tael or two of the pork, you would not see the stamp, which is in blue colour and is not on the whole portion of the pig. I am afraid if you buy one catty of pork, you may not be able to see the stamp. After all, the stamp is on the skin. If you buy the viscera, something inside the body, so again you will not be able to see the stamp.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-In other words, I must rely upon the efficiency of the Urban Services Department at the wholesale market itself.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—Yes, it is.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
259
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, what Dr. LEUNG has just mentioned is the carcase. As regards poultry which has not been slaughtered, it does not have any stamps. From the press, we know that some outlaws have smuggled poultry into Hong Kong, do we have any means to identify this smuggled poultry so as to safeguard public health?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-I really have no answer for this. Poultry being much smaller and even after killing, would not be stamped. We have no way of finding any smuggled or non-smuggled poultry from China. I cannot answer that question with regard to poultry smuggled into the territory.
2. MR. LAM CHAK-PIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):-Various 'environmental protection campaigns' are in full swing throughout the world. With the global concern over environmental protection, could the Council make use of this opportunity to do itself credit by making a positive and concrete response?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question is about how the Council could make any positive response to support 'environmental protection campaigns'.
Environmental protection is a general term which covers many areas of work. Waste collection, street sweeping and activities of the Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign performed or organised by the Council are already key elements within the ambit of environmental protection. If waste recycling and reduction is becoming the aim of the Administration as the Waste Disposal Authority, then as and when this might impact directly upon the method and means of collection, additional resources would undoubtedly have to be provided to the Council. These issues are still under consideration within Government.
The Council is the Collection Authority responsible for the collection of domestic waste in the urban area for delivery to disposal sites for treatment by the disposal authority, which is the Government. Its resources are therefore dedicated to maintaining an efficient collection service with the least disturbance to the environment and sanitary nuisances minimised as far as practicable. The Council is not charged with responsibility for waste treatment which may include recycling and reduction; nor given the resources to do so. Furthermore, the Council has been given no authority to require or direct households to sort or separate different types of waste. Any such initiative in this area, legislative or otherwise, should appropriately come from the Administration as the Waste Disposal Authority. Although the urge to embark upon an endeavour such a waste recycling is very laudable, the implications are complex. Moreover, any initiatives must take into account the Council's resources and its defined areas of statutory responsibility.
The Administration is the authority for environmental protection in general has its own concerned departments and advisory bodies. The Environmental
Page 91 of 95
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