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prosecution action. This can be achieved by amending the policies. Secondly, cooperation between the two groups of staff can be strengthened. As to the question of whether there is a need to amend the legislation, if Members consider there is, the Select Committee can carry out a review.
Ms. GRACE AU YUK-HAR (in Cantonese): I have several follow-up questions. The first one is that I want to confirm whether the fresh provision shops mentioned in the written reply cover fresh fish and fresh meat stalls in the markets of public housing estates. Are their numbers included?
The second question. As far as the inspection system adopted by our colleagues of the Urban Services Department is concerned, are the markets in public housing estates classified into 3 grades as in the general inspection system? Were any shops/stalls in public housing estates prosecuted by the Department in the past year?
The last question. In paragraph 7 of the written reply, the Chairman of the Select Committee emphasized that joint operations of the hygiene and hawker control staff of the Department were conducted as and when necessary. I want to know what kind of situation "as and when necessary" refers to. Has there been any specific case which shows us the effectiveness of joint operation under such circumstances?
MR. JOSEPH Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, if the licences for the facilities in public housing estates are issued unilaterally by the Urban Council, certainly we have the right of supervision, but for some of the facilities in public housing estates, they are also being supervised by the Housing Department. These include fresh provision shops. Their licences are issued by us, but the Housing Department also has the right to strengthen hygienic management within public housing estates.
As to the statistics on prosecution concerning housing estates, whether they are being classified and whether the fresh provision shops in housing estates are graded. I don't have the information now. If Ms. Au wants the information, I can give it to her after the meeting. I believe that the Department can provide the analysis to Ms. Au.
As for joint operations, I said these actions would be taken as and when necessary. So far, we may also prosecute fresh provision shops for illegal hawking under the ordinance.
MR. AMBROSE Cheung Wing-SUM (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, as far as extension and illegal hawking are concerned, paragraph 7 in the written reply has addressed only one situation. In the cases of extension of shop area and illegal hawking, there should be shops or hawkers claiming the ownership of goods but what we witness is that very often when health inspectors and hawker control staff arrive at the scene together, no one claims the goods to be theirs. When the
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HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
337
prosecution action. This can be achieved by amending the policies. Secondly, cooperation between the two groups of staff can be strengthened. As to the question of whether there is a need to amend the legislation, if Members considers there is, the Select Committee can carry out a review.
Ms. GRACE AU YUK-HAR (in Cantonese):-I have several follow-up questions. The first one is that I want to confirm whether the fresh provision shops mentioned in the written reply cover fresh fish and fresh meat stalls in the markets of public housing estates. Are their numbers included?
The second question. As far as the inspection system adopted by our colleagues of the Urban Services Department is concerned, are the markets in public housing estates classified into 3 grades as in the general inspection system? Were any shops/stalls in public housing estates prosecuted by the Department in the past wear?
The last question. In paragraph 7 of the written reply, the Chairman of the Select Committee emphasized that joint operations of the hygiene and hawker control staff of the Department were conducted as and when necessary. I want to Hknow what kind of situation "as and when necessary' refers to. Has there been cany specific case which shows us the effectiveness of joint operation under such circumstances?
IMR. JOSEPH Chan Yuek-sut (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, if the licences for the facilities in public housing estates are issued unilaterally by the Urban Council, certainly we have the right of supervision, but for some of the Ifacilities in public housing estates, they are also being supervised by the Housing Department. These include fresh provision shops. Their licences are iissued by us, but the Housing Department also has the right to strengthen lhygienic management within public housing estates.
As to the statistics on prosecution concerning housing estates, whether they are being classified and whether the fresh provision shops in housing estates are graded. I don't have the information now. If Ms. Au wants the information, I can give it to her after the meeting. I believe that the Department can provide the analysis to Ms. Au.
As for joint operations. I said these actions would be taken as and when necessary. So far, we may also prosecute fresh provision shops for illegal hawking under the ordinance.
MR. AMBROSE Cheung Wing-SUM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as far as extension and illegal hawking are concerned, paragraph 7 in the written reply has addressed only one situation. In the cases of extension of shop area and illegal hawking, there should be shops or hawkers claiming the ownership of goods but what we witness is that very often when health inspectors and hawker control staff arrive at the scene together, no one claims the goods to be theirs. When the
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