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and examination of the foodstuffs of the whole of Hong Kong as well as the law enforcement in this aspect. Such a department should either be placed under the merged municipal services department or be an independent one, but in either way it should be supervised by a unified municipal council.
I recall that in the avian flu incident last year, Mr. WONG Kwok-hing proposed the establishment of a Food Safety Authority. We consider that since the Authority should be responsible to the Central Government, it should also be responsible to the new municipal council and subject to its supervision so that it can work more efficiently with international food safety organizations and coordinate the related mechanisms. We hope that the Government will as early as possible implement the one-department concept in the aspect of food safety, such as the Department of Health, and commission members of the World Health Organization and advanced food safety supervisory bodies to study the problems of food safety and environmental hygiene of Hong Kong and to raise the standard of Hong Kong in these areas.
We consider that the reformation of district organizations should be carried out step by step and in particular, professional advice should be respected in matters concerning food safety and environmental hygiene. Furthermore, the election of the next term of district organizations is forthcoming next year. We therefore consider that adequate time should be allowed for so that both the Government and the people may come up with appropriate means to handle the issue. We therefore propose that as the first step, we should maintain the status quo of the HKSAR as the interim measure and as the second step, we should, after detailed analysis by professionals, conduct a review with recommendations before implementing any reforms. It is only then that a systematic reformation will be ensured.
As for the problems of food safety and environmental hygiene mentioned in the Consultative Document on Review of District Organizations, the government departments concerned should make a self-review and be pragmatic in order to achieve the objectives. Any district re-organization must be preceded by a detailed review to forestall any inconsistency or confusion.
With these remarks, I support the Chairman's motion. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
THE HON. Ambrose Cheung Wing-sum (in Cantonese):—In connection with the Consultation Document on Review of District Organizations, my speech will focus on two points. Firstly, I will give some supplementary views on the Consultation Document. Secondly, I will recommend a way ensuring a continuous dialogue with the Government at different levels concerning the Consultation Document.
In past months, I expressed my views on the Consultation Document on different occasions and I am glad that valuable comments have been given by a number of Members today. All along my attitude has been to listen carefully
Page 107 of 606
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129
and examination of the foodstuffs of the whole of Hong Kong as well as the law enforcement in this aspect. Such a department should either be placed under the merged municipal services department or be an independent one, but in either way it should be supervised by a unified municipal council.
I recall that in the avian flu incident last year, Mr. WONG Kwok-hing proposed the establishment of a Food Safety Authority. We consider that since the Authority should be responsible to the Central Government, it should also be responsible to the new municipal council and subject to its supervision so that it can work more efficiently with international food safety organizations and coordinate the related mechanisms. We hope that the Government will as early as possible implement the one-department concept in the aspect of food safety, such as the D of H, and commission members of the World Health Organization and advanced food safely supervisory bodies to study the problems of food safety and environmental hygiene of Hong Kong and to raise the standard of Hong Kong in these areas.
We consider that the reformation of district organizations should be carried out step by step and in particular, professional advice should be respected in matters concerning food safety and environmental hygiene. Furthermore, the election of the next term of district organizations is forthcoming next year. We therefore consider that adequate time should be allowed for so that both the Government and the people may come up with appropriate means to handle the issue. We therefore propose that as the first step, we should maintain the status quo of the HKSAR as the interim measure and as the second step, we should, after detailed analysis by professionals, conduct a review with recommendations before implementing any reforms. It is only then that a systematic reformation will be ensured.
As for the problems of food safety and environmental hygiene mentioned in the Consultative Document on Review of District Organizations, the government departments concerned should make a self-review and be pragmatic in order to achieve the objectives. Any district re-organization must be preceded by a detailed review to forestall any inconsistency or confusion.
With these remarks, I support the Chairman's motion. Thank you. Mr. Chairman.
THE HON. Ambrose Cheung Wing-sum (in Cantonese):—In connection with the Consultation Document on Review of District Organizations, my speech will focus on two points. Firstly, I will give some supplementary views on the Consultation Document. Secondly, I will recommend a way ensuring a continuous dialogue with the Government at different levels concerning the Consultation Document.
In past months. I expressed my views on the Consultation Document on different occasions and I am glad that valuable comments have been given by a number of Members today. All along my attitude has been to listen carefully
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