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(e) To receive reports from the departments and Sub-Committee concerned
on the implementation of such strategies, measures and plans. Membership of the Steering Committee comprises different sectors of the community, including the chairmen of the two Municipal Councils. The Director of Urban Services is only in attendance and is not a member. The purpose of the Steering Committee is to provide policy guidance to the implementation of the Healthy Living Campaign. There is therefore no question of the Steering Committee replacing the two Municipal Councils in formulation and amendments of policies and legislation on public health as fall within the responsibility of the two Councils under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance Cap. 132.
With regard to part (1) of the question, although the meetings of the Steering Committee and its working groups are not open to the public, I understand that the Government is making arrangement to place copies of the working documents of the Steering Committee onto the Campaign Website to permit ready access by the public. For Members' information, the Website address is http://www.info.gov.hk/healthylife.
MR. FRANCIS TANG Chi-ho (in Cantonese):—I would like to seek clarification from the Chairman Mr. Joseph Chan. In fact, Mr. Chan Kwok-leung already pointed out clearly in the first part of his question. I wonder why staff of the Urban Services Department did not inform the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee regarding illegal hawking. As a matter of fact, this affects the public directly and generates public concern. Why is it that the fixed penalty mechanism cannot be adopted because of ICAC and other departments? Why is it that such a mechanism can be adopted for hygiene matters? This is my first follow-up question.
For the second follow-up question, I want to know clearly whether it is the Chief Executive or the public who sees great problems with our environmental hygiene? Does the Urban Services Department have the information to reflect that the public thinks fines are not of much deterrent effect?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the Department has not given different opinions on this. In fact, on the question of fixed penalties, the Joint Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee has held meeting for discussions. At the monthly meeting to be held this month, we will follow-up on the document presented by the Department and discuss details of the fixed penalty mechanism as well as consider the feasibility of law amendments. As for information held by the Steering Committee, we know very little. However, the two Municipal Councils are negotiating on this. For the time being, the Department of Justice has no particular opinions and the ICAC has written to the Committee indicating no objection to the proposal of implementing fixed penalties. ICAC will offer some details on future
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(e) To receive reports from the departments and Sub-Committee concerned
on the implementation of such strategies, measures and plans. Membership of the Steering Committee comprises different sectors of the community, including the chairmen of the two Municipal Councils. The Director of Urban Services is only in attendance and is not a member. The purpose of the Steering Committee is to provide policy guidance to the implementation of the Healthy Living Campaign. There is therefore no question of the Steering Committee replacing the two Municipal Councils in formulation and amendments of policies and legislation on public health as fall within the responsibility of the two Councils under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance Cap. 132.
With regard to part (1) of the question, although the meetings of the Steering Committee and its working groups are not open to the public, I understand that the Government is making arrangement to place copies of the working documents of the Steering Committee onto the Campaign Website to permit ready access by the public. For Members' information, the Website address is http://www.info.gov.hk/healthylife.
MR. FRANCIS Tang Chi-ho (in Cantonese):—I would like to seek clarificationn from the Chairman Mr. Joseph Citan. In fact, Mr. Chan Kwok-leung already pointed out clearly in the first part of his question. I wonder why staff of the Urban Services Department did not inform the Chairman of the Public Health Select Committee regarding illegal hawking. As a matter of fact, this affects the public directly and generates public concern. Why is it that the fixed penalty mechanism cannot be adopted because of ICAC and other departments? Why is it that such a mechanism can be adopted for hygiene matters? This is my first follow-up question.
For the second follow-up question, I want to know clearly whether it is the Chief Executive or the public who sees great problems with our environmental hygiene? Does the Urban Services Department have the information to reflect that the public thinks fines are not of much deterrent effect?
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the Department has not given different opinions on this. In fact, on the question of fixed penalties, the Joint Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee has held meeting for discussions. At the monthly meeting to be held this month, we will follow- up on the document presented by the Department and discuss details of the fixed penalty mechanism as well as consider the feasibility of law amendments. As for information held by the Steering Committee, we know very little. However, the two Municipal Councils are negotiating on this. For the time being, the Department of Justice has no particular opinions and the ICAC has written to the Committee indicating no objection to the proposal of implementing fixed penalties. ICAC will offer some details on future
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