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3 years. I hope Mr. CHAN would specify with examples what close monitoring measures are in force, which have brought about such an effective control that no trucks transporting raw and cooked meat have violated the municipal ordinance at all.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the first question asks whether the small number of prosecutions in 3 years, that is, only 5, was due to shortage of manpower. The answer is ‘no'. What accounted for the small number of prosecutions? Was it because they did very well? Not necessarily. If these trucks are only dripping clean water whilst in motion, it is not at all easy for us to prosecute them. The Urban Council must prove that the dripping has polluted public places, thereby affecting the hygienic condition, before being able to prosecute them. If clean water drips from the vehicles while they are travelling on the road, then the case will not be within the purview of our Council but within that of the Transport Department, because such a situation might result in slippery road surface, or cause the vehicles behind to crash because of slippery tires. In such circumstances, the one taking action will be the Transport Department.
In the past 3 years, there were only 5 cases in which the Department might take legal actions, because the vehicles were parked on the kerb for the discharge of water. However, if the water discharged had been clean water, we might not have been able to prosecute them because the hygienic condition was not affected. We were able to prosecute them because there were fish scales in the water discharged. While the fish were being transported, their scales might come off because of bumping on the way and therefore, when the water was discharged, scales were found in it. It was because the water contained other substances, thereby polluting the environment, that the Department's staff were able to prosecute them. If only clean water is discharged, then legal action should be taken by the Transport Department. This was why there were only 5 cases of prosecution in 3 years.
As to the absence of record of prosecution against meat trucks in the past 3 years, it was because the slaughterhouses were monitored and their hygienic condition was adequately supervised. The meat trucks of the slaughterhouses must have the Urban Services Department's endorsement before they can transport meat from the slaughterhouses and that they must be cleaned every day and be subject to inspection. Furthermore, they have to submit monthly reports to the Health Inspectors of the slaughterhouses. Such a reporting system is part of the slaughterhouses' management work. As the meat is transported to the market every day, supervision in this aspect must be adequate. Moreover, we visited the slaughterhouses and saw that the vehicles were thoroughly washed. We require them to wash the vehicles thoroughly before we allow them to load in or hang up the dressed meat and transport it to the market for sale.
Page 287 of 654
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287 of 654
284
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
3 years. I hope Mr. CHAN would specify with examples what close monitoring measures are in force, which have brought about such an effective control that no trucks transporting raw and cooked meat have violated the municipal ordinance at all.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the first question asks whether the small number of prosecutions in 3 years, that is. only 5, was due to shortage of manpower. The answer is ‘no'. What accounted for the small number of prosecutions? Was it because they did very well? Not necessarily. If these trucks are only dripping clean water whilst in motion, it is not at all easy for us to prosecute them. The Urban Council must prove that the dripping has polluted public places, thereby affecting the hygienic condition, before being able to prosecute them. If clean water drips from the vehicles while they are travelling on the road, then the case will not be within the purview of our Council but within that of the Transport Department, because such a situation might result in slippery road surface, or cause the vehicles behind to crash because of slippery tires. In such circumstances, the one taking action will be the Transport Department.
In the past 3 years, there were only 5 cases in which the Department might take legal actions, because the vehicles were parked on the kerb for the discharge of water. However, if the water discharged had been clean water, we might not have been able to prosecute them because the hygienic condition was not affected. We were able to prosecute them because there were fish scales in the water discharged. While the fish were being transported, their scales might come off because of bumping on the way and therefore, when the water was discharged, scales were found in it. It was because the water contained other substances, thereby polluting the environment, that the Department's staff were able to prosecute them. If only clean water is discharged, then legal action should be taken by the Transport Department. This was why there were only 5 cases of prosecution in 3 years.
As to the absence of record of prosecution against meat trucks in the past 3 years, it was because the slaughterhouses were monitored and their hygienic condition was adequately supervised. The meat trucks of the slaughterhouses must have the Urban Services Department's endorsement before they can transport meat from the slaughterhouses and that they must be cleaned every day and be subject to inspection. Furthermore, they have to submit monthly reports to the Health Inspectors of the slaughterhouses. Such a reporting system is part of the slaughterhouses' management work. As the meat is transported to the market every day, supervision in this aspect must be adequate. Moreover, we visited the slaughterhouses and saw that the vehicles were thoroughly washed. We require them to wash the vehicles thoroughly before we allow them to load in or hang up the dressed meat and transport it to the market for sale.
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