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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. TAM KWOK-KIU (in Cantonese):-The first question pinpoints the difficulties encountered in exercising the power of arrest under section III of Cap. 132. Have solutions to such difficulties been explored to avoid having an Ordinance which is not enforced?
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese):-Judging from the approach taken by the Department all along, I agree with Mr. TAM that having the law is like having no law. However, it does not mean that we are not facing the matter squarely. As stated in my reply to the third follow-up question by Mr. TAM, if we encounter any problems, the Department will pay more attention and when necessary, take action and seek help from the police in fighting gambling activities. I believe this matter will be brought back to the Recreation Select Committee for consideration to see if there are loopholes or if there is a need for amending the policy and the Ordinance.
(3) Ms. GRACE AU YUK-HAR asked the following question (in Cantonese):- Recently, I have discovered that in some shops, especially some Siu Mei and Lo Mei shops and bakeries, the owners have put their food in places without covers. This situation is quite common even in some busy roads, and the public have doubts over the hygienic standards of such shops. Moreover, some large scale chained bakeries usually use plastic containers for transporting cakes and bread by pulling them in layers on the ground. Under this circumstance, the cakes and bread are quite vulnerable to pollution caused by the dust in the air, thus affecting food hygiene. Hence, I would like to ask: in the past two years, has the Council received any complaints in this regard? How many prosecution actions were taken? What is the average frequency of sending staff to inspect the hygienic conditions of the shops?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT, Chairman of THE PUBLIC Health Select COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This three-part question concerns risks of food contamination in Siu Mei and Lo Mei shops and bakeries. The first part enquires if the Council has received any complaints in this regard in the past two years.
According to departmental records, there were, in the past two years, 82 complaints against Siu Mei and Lo Mei shops and 49 complaints against bakeries concerning exposure of food to risks of contamination.
The second part of the question enquires about prosecution actions taken in the past two years. Health Inspectors of the Department have, during special operations, regular inspections and investigations of complaints, instituted 616 summonses under B/L 11(1) of the Food Business (UC) Bylaws against food premises for exposure of Siu Mei or Lo Mei to risks of contamination in the past two years. In respect of bakeries, 84 prosecutions under B/L 10 of the Food Business (UC) Bylaws were made for offences of subjecting bakery products to risks of contamination.
Page 83 of 498
£198
Page 83 of 498
80
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. TAM KWOK-KIU (in Cantonese):-The first question pinpoints the difficulties encountered in exercising the power of arrest under section III of Cap. 132. Have solutions to such difficulties been explored to avoid having an Ordinance which is not enforced?
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU (in Cantonese):-Judging from the approach taken by the Department all along, I agree with Mr. TAM that having the law is like having no law. However, it does not mean that we are not facing the matter squarely. As stated in my reply to the third follow-up question by Mr. TAM, if we encounter any problems, the Department will pay more attention and when necessary, take action and seek help from the police in fighting gambling activities. I believe this matter will be brought back to the Recreation Select Committee for consideration to see if there are loopholes or if there is a need for amending the policy and the Ordinance.
(3) Ms. GRACE AU YUK-HAR asked the following question (in Cantonese):- Recently, I have discovered that in some shops, especially some Siu Mei and Lo Mei shops and bakeries, the owners have put their food in places without covers. This situation is quite common even in some busy roads, and the public have doubts over the hygienic standards of such shops. Moreover, some large scale chained bakeries usually use plastic containers for transporting cakes und bread by pulling them in layers on the ground. Under this circumstance, the cakes and bread are quite vulnerable to pollution caused by the dust in the air, thus affecting food hygiene. Hence, I would like to ask: in the past two years, has the Council received any complaints in this regard? How many prosecution actions were taken? What is the average frequency of sending staff to inspect the hygienic conditions of the shops?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT, Chairman of THE PUBLIC Health Select COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This three-part question concerns risks of food contamination in Siu Mei and Lo Mei shops and bakeries. The first part enquires if the Council has received any complaints in this regard in the past two years.
According to departmental records, there were, in the past two years, 82 complaints against Siu Mei and Lo Mei shops and 49 complaints against bakeries concerning exposure of food to risks of contamination.
The second part of the question enquires about prosecution actions taken in the past two years. Health Inspectors of the Department have, during special operations, regular inspections and investigations of complaints, instituted 616 summonses under B/L 11(1) of the Food Business (UC) Bylaws against food premises for exposure of Siu Mei or Lo Mei to risks of contamination in the past two years. In respect of bakeries, 84 prosecutions under B/L 10 of the Food Business (UC) Bylaws were made for offences of subjecting bakery products to risks of contamination.
498
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£198
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