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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Legislative Council today (June 27):

Question: Regarding the enforcement against unlicensed hawkers in the Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) estates, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) of the names and the total number of TPS estates where unlicensed hawking activities are rampant;

(b) whether enforcement operations against unlicensed hawkers in such estates are conducted regularly; and

(c) whether enforcement operations against unlicensed hawkers within TPS estates by the Housing Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department respectively differ from the operations carried out by these two departments respectively within public rental housing estates; if so, of the details?

Reply:

Madam President,

The Housing Authority does not keep a record of names or total number of Tenants Purchase Scheme estates where unlicensed hawking activities are rampant. A survey conducted by Housing Department (HD) staff on June 22, 2001 identified the following TPS estates as having had more than one unlicensed hawker on the premises:

District                 Estate                  Hawkers
********                 ******                  ********
Tai Po              Tai Wo Estate                 7
Tai Po              Fu Heng Estate                12
Sheung Shui         Tin Ping Estate               6
Chai Wan            Fung Wah Estate               2
Tuen Mun            Leung King Estate             9
Aberdeen            Wah Kwai Estate               5

Enforcement against unlicensed hawkers is conducted on a need basis, for example, if hawker problems persist, or if hawkers congregate in large numbers, or if hawkers sell cooked food.

Enforcement operations against unlicensed hawkers within TPS estates are conducted by HD staff or property management agents in accordance with the Deeds of Mutual Covenant, with the help of officers from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) as necessary. Arrests and prosecutions are made by FEHD officers under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132). For public rental housing estates, HD staff takes similar action and make arrests and prosecutions under delegated authority under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance.

End/Wednesday, June 27, 2001

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