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monitor. However, if Members feel there is need to do so and are concerned about this, we can consider and negotiate with the Police.
MR. KAM NAI-WAI (in Cantonese):--I want to follow up Mr. LEE Kwok-keung's question about police messes and clubs selling liquor without licence and how long the situation has existed. The reply document has not given a concrete answer. I would like to ask the Chairman of the LLB whether the reply was based on information supplied by the Police. As Mr. Chan Kwok-leung just suggested, we may need to amend the ordinance to permit USD staff to inspect clubs or messes at police stations and see if liquor selling licensing requirements are complied with. Only then can we avoid role conflicts. I just want to follow up this point.
Secondly, as stated in paragraph 2 of the reply document, the Chairman of the LLB cited a number of messes or clubs. I want to know if they all sold liquor without licence. No specific reply was given in the reply document, so I want to know the answer to the question. I hope the Chairman of the LLB can furnish more details.
Mr. San Stephen Wong Hon-ching (in Cantonese):—I thank Mr. Kam for his questions. As to the length of period in which liquor was sold at police messes and canteens, frankly, the Board never compiled statistics and we have little historical information. However, as far as I know, many police messes and canteens have been selling liquor for many years. It is only that the LLB does not have sufficient information to furnish. I know only that liquor has been sold in such places for many years.
The second question concerns the need to amend the ordinance and authorize USD staff to inspect police messes and canteens in respect of unlicensed liquor selling. I think this should be discussed between the LLB and the USD. At this stage, the LLB does not have this enforcement power, the Police have. As to whether USD should, as suggested by two colleagues, do something about unlicensed liquor selling, it involves a lot of law amendment. I think we should leave it to the LLB to see if there is genuine need. If so, we can go on to consider how to carry it out. If not, we can continue as we now do by enlisting the police to assist in enforcement work.
MR. ALBERT Lai Wing-lin (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the Police Force is a disciplinary force acting on the order of the Commissioner of Police. I would like to ask the Chairman of the LLB if it is a waste of time for us to query if the disciplined force obeys the order of its chief commander, namely the Commissioner of Police when we speak of the Police Force. That is to the first question.
As for the second one, taking the matter up with the Police Force may not be enough. Why don't we also take the matter up with the armed forces with bars on their premises too? Why don't we question whether they hold liquor licences?
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monitor. However, if Members feel there is need to do so and are concerned about this, we can consider and negotiate with the Police.
MR. KAM NAI-WAI (in Cantonese):--I want to follow up Mr. LEE Kwok- keung's question about police messes and clubs selling liquor without licence and how long the situation has existed. The reply document has not given a concrete answer. I would like to ask the Chairman of the LLB whether the reply was based on information supplied by the Police. As Mr. Chan Kwok- leung just suggested, we may need to amend the ordinance to permit USD staff to inspect clubs or messes at police stations and see if liquor selling licensing requirements are complied with. Only then can we avoid role conflicts. I just want to follow up this point.
Secondly, as stated in paragraph 2 of the reply document, the Chairman of the LLB cited a number of messes or clubs. I want to know if they all sold liquor without licence. No specific reply was given in the reply document, so I want to know the answer to the question. I hope the Chairman of the LLB can furnish more details.
Mr. San Stephen Wong Hon-ching (in Cantonese):—I thank Mr. Kam for his questions. As to the length of period in which liquor was sold at police messes and canteens, frankly, the Board never compiled statistics and we have little historical information. However, as far as I know, many police messes and canteens have been selling liquor for many years. It is only that the LLB does not have sufficient information to furnish. I know only that liquor has been sold in such places for many years.
The second question concerns the need to amend the ordinance and authorize USD staff to inspect police messes and canteens in respect of unlicensed liquor selling. I think this should be discussed between the LLB and the USD. At this stage, the LLB does not have this enforcement power, the Police have. As to whether USD should, as suggested by two colleagues, do something about unlicensed liquor selling, it involves a lot of law amendment. I think we should leave it to the LLB to see if there is genuine need. If so, we can go on to consider how to carry it out. If not, we can continue as we now do by enlisting the police to assist in enforcement work.
MR. ALBERT Lai Wing-lin (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairnum, the Police Force is a disciplinary force acting on the order of the Commissioner of Police. I would like to ask the Chairman of the LLB if it is a waste of time for us to query if the disciplined force obeys the order of its chief commander, namely the Commissioner of Police when we speak of the Police Force. That is to the first question.
As for the second one, taking the matter up with the Police Force may not be enough. Why don't we also take the matter up with the armed forces with bars on their premises too? Why don't we question whether they hold liquor licences?
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