ENG-1994 — Page 224

HEALTH

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on food. As the bulk of the local food supply comes from China, the territory works closely with the Chinese authorities. Regular meetings are held with officials from the Guangdong and Shenzhen Commodities Inspection Bureaux to promote food safety and better food hygiene.

Food Premises

The Urban Services and Regional Services departments have categorised licensed food premises into different grades according to their hygiene standards. The frequency of inspections is determined by the grade of the premises to better utilise manpower and

resources.

Both departments maintain a demerit points system for the suspension or cancellation of food premises licences or permits, to deter breaches of licensing and hygiene regulations. The system is regularly reviewed to ensure its effectiveness. Strict control is exercised over food premises which fail to apply for a licence, or which have not complied with the specified requirements. Weekly prosecution of repeated offenders has led to a drastic reduction in the number of unlicensed food premises.

To assist applicants for restaurant licences and to better co-ordinate inter-departmental scrutiny, a central vetting panel was set up. This advises applicants at an early stage whether the intended premises are suitable for licensed restaurants and provides an opportunity for discussion of proposed construction and decoration. The panel also gives initial advice on steps and action to be taken to meet licensing requirements and remedy any shortcomings.

The two departments also work closely with the Department of Health in the investigation and control of food poisoning incidents, substandard foods and infectious diseases.

For better control of licensed food premises, the Food Business (Regional Council) Bylaws were amended to disallow dogs in food premises. Following an outbreak of cholera in mid-1994, the Food Business (Urban Council) and (Regional Council) Bylaws were amended to control the quality of water in which live fish and shellfish are kept for human consumption. A code of practice was also issued to assist restaurateurs in maintaining fish tank hygiene.

Markets

The municipal services departments are responsible for the management of public markets in their respective areas.

The Urban Council operated 62 retail markets in the urban area in 1994. In these markets, 10 039 stalls offered commodities ranging from fresh food to household items.

Old and outdated markets have been gradually replaced by multi-purpose complexes managed by the council. The 16 existing complexes house new markets and cooked food centres on the lower floors, while upper floors provide a variety of facilities for indoor sports activities, and cultural and recreational pursuits. New markets with cooked food centres are built to meet not only hawker resiting commitments, but consumer demand.

The improvement works to the existing To Kwa Wan Market in Kowloon City District were completed in late April. The Kimberley Street Market, opened in May, is fully air- conditioned and operates like a modern supermarket with 21 spacious stalls. The redevelop- ment of Causeway Bay Market was completed by the end of the year. Other market projects under construction included the Pei Ho Street Complex, Hung Hom Complex, Smithfield