Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ7: On-street promotion activities at public places
Following is a question by the Hon Leung Kwok-hung and a written reply by the
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council
today (May 25):
Question:
I have received complaints from many members of the public, alleging that the
pitches set up on streets by many organisations and companies to conduct sales
promotion activities have caused obstruction and nuisance to the public. In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the number of complaints concerning the above activities received by
government departments in each of the past three years, the respective numbers
of cases in which verbal warnings were issued and prosecutions instituted, as
well as the locations and natures of the pitches involved;
(b) whether any accidents or conflicts involving on-street sales promotion
pitches have been reported to government departments over the past three years;
if so, of the respective numbers of cases received and persons injured; and
(c) whether the authorities will step up the management measures or enforcement
actions against the black spots of on-street sales promotion activities; if so,
of the details?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) Generally, on-street pitches for commercial promotion purposes are related
to services ranging from mobile phones, fixed-line telephones, internet, health
and fitness to credit cards. Most of these pitches are set up at locations with
high pedestrian traffic, such as access points to MTR and KCRC stations, bus
terminals, pedestrian links near markets or shopping malls and major walkways or
pedestrian precincts in busy locales.
Various departments such as the Police, Food and Environmental Hygiene
Department (FEHD), Transport Department, Lands Department and Home Affairs
Department would receive complaints from the public in respect of on-street
promotion activities at public places. The Police and FEHD can take enforcement
action according to the relevant legislations in areas under their jurisdiction.
The following is a breakdown of complaints received, verbal warnings issued and
prosecutions made over the past three years by the departments which have
compiled statistics on the above activities:
Year
Complaints
Verbal
Warnings
Prosecutions
2002
434
495
13
2003
918
2,988
16
2004
1,202
3,948
17
Since the complainant may lodge a complaint to different departments or at
different time, it is possible that the above figures contain an element of
double counting.
(b) Over the past three years, FEHD has recorded one complaint involving a
conflict relating to an on-street promotion pitch. Nobody was injured in the
incident. The other departments have not kept any statistics for these cases.
(c) On-Street promotion activity is a street management problem that involves a
number of departments. For instance, FEHD and the Police take joint action from
time to time to curb the nuisance and obstruction caused by such activities.
Departments will continue to work together to manage on-street promotion
activities.
Ends/Wednesday, May 25, 2005
NNNN