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Let me take drunken driving as an example. Over ten years ago, knocking people down because of driving after taking drinks did not lead to heavy punishment. Nowadays, stiffer laws have been enacted. One who has taken 1.5 drinks on a Friday at a friend's party knows best to take public transport home instead of driving by oneself. I think new laws are very effective. So I hope the authorities will consider the effectiveness of penalties, especially imprisonment, as a deterrent.
Mr. Chairman, those are my remarks.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I would also like to speak.
As a medical practitioner, I have greater interest in public health matters. I fully support the motion before us. I would also like to draw on my past work and experience in order to urge for more liaison with mainland authorities in adopting some measures. On the other hand, I want to urge this Council to take a series of actions in order to ensure food hygiene and protect the health of our citizens.
I propose that the following concrete actions be taken:
1.
2.
3.
I will contact the merchandise inspection bureau of Shenzhen and call for more attention and improvements on legislature and law enforcement. This will guard against dishonest merchants mixing poisonous vegetables with potent ones and transporting them to Hong Kong.
I call for a ban on methamidophos. In fact, that chemical has its definite use. It is cheap and effective in the prevention of poisonous bugs on fruit trees. When used on vegetables, the chemical takes longer to evaporate, sometimes as long as 3 to 4 weeks. If a vegetable farmer harvests early before that length of time, there will be residue on the products. I therefore urge mainland authorities to ban its use on vegetables and restrict its use to fruit trees only.
I am in favour of heavy fines or even criminal punishment for drivers who bring in smuggled vegetables with pesticide residue.
For the Hong Kong side, I suggest that the following actions should be taken:
1.
2.
3.
More sampling and testing at Man Kam To;
The setting up of laboratories for testing at all vegetable wholesale markets such as Western, North District etc.;
The Council's Working Group on Health Education should promote knowledge on prevention of consuming poisonous vegetables. I think there is a lot more we should do in teaching the public. For example, we should list out points to note when buying vegetables in order to detect those with pesticide residue,
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Page 405 of 654
HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
401
Let me take drunken driving as an example. Over ten years ago, knocking people down because of driving after taking drinks did not lead to heavy Ipunishment. Nowadays, stiffer laws have been enacted. One who has taken 1.5 drinks on a Friday at a friend party knows best to take public transport home instead of driving by oneself. I think new laws are very effective. So I hope the authorities will consider the effectiveness of penalties, especially imprisonment, as a deterrent.
Mr. Chairman, those are my remarks.
CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—I would also like to speak.
As a medical practitioner, I have greater interest in public health matters. I fully support the motion before us. I would also like to draw my past work and experience in order to urge for more liaison with mainland authorities in adopting some measures. On the other hand, I want to urge this Council to take a series of actions in order to ensure food hygiene and protect the health of our citizens.
I propose that the following concrete actions be taken:
1.
2.
3.
I will contact the merchandise inspection bureau of Shenzhen and call for more attention and improvements on legislature and law enforcement. This will guard against dishonest merchants mixing poisonous vegetables with potent ones and transporting them to Hong Kong.
I call for a ban on methamidophos. In fact, that chemical has its definite use. It is cheap and effective in the prevention of poisonous bugs on fruit trees. When used on vegetables, the chemical takes longer to evaporate, sometimes as long as 3 to 4 weeks. If a vegetable farmer harvests early before that length of time, there will be residue on the products. I therefore urge mainland authorities to ban its use on vegetables and restrict its use to fruit trees only.
I am in favour of heavy fines or even criminal punishment for drivers who bring in smuggled vegetables with pesticide residue.
For the Hong Kong side, I suggest that the following actions should be taken:
1.
2.
3.
More sampling and testing at Mankamto;
The setting up of laboratories for testing at all vegetable wholesale markets such as Western, North District etc.;
The Council's Working Group on Health Education should promote knowledge on prevention of consuming poisonous vegetables. I think there is a lot more we should do in teaching the public. For example, we should list out points to note when buying vegetables in order to detect those with pesticide residue,
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