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A new department is to take over responsibilities for food safety and environmental hygiene from four existing departments.

The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, announced this today (Wednesday) during his Policy Address in the Legislative Council.

He also said a new framework would also be devised to manage arts and culture and sports and recreation programmes and facilities.

A new policy bureau would be established to provide central co-ordination and direction on environmental protection, environmental hygiene, waste management, food safety and nature conservation policy.

It would be underpinned by a new Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, as well as the existing Environmental Protection Department and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department.

Mr Tung said the changes stemmed from the review he promised in the 1997 Policy Address, which considered the functions and structure of the Provisional Municipal Councils and Provisional District Boards.

He said the new department would assume the responsibilities for food safety and environmental hygiene currently under the purview of the Urban and Regional Services Departments, the Department of Health and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department.

An advisory committee would be established to give advice on and monitor work in this area, and to allow greater professional participation in formulating policies.

Mr Tung said public confidence had been affected by a series of public health incidents in the past year, especially the outbreak of avian influenza.

"These incidents were seen by many to be due to a lack of effective central co-ordination, arising from fragmentation of responsibilities for public health matters among different agencies within Government and the Provisional Municipal Councils," he said.

"A clear majority of those who responded to the exercise agreed with the proposal that Government assume direct responsibility for food safety and environmental hygiene services."

The new structure was intended to be in place before the end of 1999.

During the review, feedback from the arts and sports communities revealed concerns about unclear policy, a lack of cost-effectiveness and duplication of functions of the Provisional Municipal Councils with other service providers, Mr Tung said.

A new administrative framework for the delivery of those services, now being provided by the Provisional Municipal Councils, would be developed with the Arts Development Council, the Sports Development Board and other concerned parties. It would be put in place before the end of 1999.

Mr Tung said that considering the proposed changes, the Government saw no need to retain the Provisional Municipal Councils after the terms of office of their members expire at the end of 1999.

"I hope that in the months ahead the Government will be able to achieve a consensus with the Honourable Members of this Council that these arrangements are in the best interests of providing an improved service to our community," he said.

The structure of the District Boards would remain essentially unchanged, Mr Tung said.

"I have asked the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs to prepare legislative proposals for the election of the Boards (which, in English, will be re-named District Councils) in time for the election to be held before the end of 1999," he said.

The Boards would receive additional funding for improving the local environment, commissioning district cultural and recreational activities and promoting more community building programmes.

End/Wednesday, October 7, 1998

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