ENG-1997 — Page 224

HEALTH

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

To protect the public from poisoning due to consumption of pesticide-tainted vegetables, around 90 per cent of the vehicles importing vegetables from the Mainland through the Man Kam To border control point were inspected. Samples were taken for screening tests and chemical analysis for detection of pesticides.

Markets

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The municipal councils manage public markets in their respective areas. The Provisional Urban Council operated 61 retail markets in the urban area in 1997. In these markets, 10 154 stalls offered commodities ranging from fresh food to household items.

Old and temporary markets have gradually been replaced and the Provisional Urban Council managed 20 multi-purpose complexes during the year. These complexes house on the lower floors new markets and cooked food centres which are built to meet not only hawker resiting commitments, but consumer demand. Markets and cooked food centres will, as far as practicable, be air-conditioned to improve the trading environment.

The new Tai Shing Street Market was opened in November. A scheme for contracting out cleansing operations was implemented in 47 markets at the year-end: 22 on Hong Kong Island and 25 in Kowloon.

The RSD administered 45 markets in the Provisional Regional Council area, providing a total of 5 289 market stalls and 406 cooked food stalls. As its first air- conditioned public market in Shek Wu Hui was very well received, the department plans to provide air-conditioning in all future markets and cooked food centres. Where economically viable and technically feasible, existing facilities will also be air- conditioned. Cleaning services for 19 markets were contracted out at year-end.

Hawkers

The two municipal councils maintain control over on-street hawkers. The licensing of street hawkers in the urban area is the responsibility of the Provisional Urban Council. At the end of the year, there were 8 892 licensed hawkers in the urban area 308 fewer than in 1996. The decrease was mainly due to the implementation of the Itinerant Hawker Licence Compulsory Deletion Policy.

During the year, the hawker control teams in the urban area, comprising 1958 civilian staff trained in law enforcement, secured 80 550 court convictions for hawking offences by both licensed and unlicensed hawkers. Due to stringent enforcement action, the number of unlicensed hawkers reduced to about 3 740.

To better control the hawker problems in urban area during early morning or late night hours, a special overnight shift for the Regional Task Forces (formed by hawker control teams and directly under Regional command) of the USD was made permanent in March 1997 after a review conducted by USD and endorsed by the council.

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