Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ13: Premises covered by liquor licence with bar endorsement
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (January 11)
Question:
With respect to pubs situated on the upper floors of commercial buildings other
than shopping malls, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the total number of such pubs at present, with a breakdown by district,
as well as the names of the 20 buildings with the highest number of such pubs
and the respective numbers of pubs in these buildings;
(b) whether the Buildings Department and Fire Services Department will make
recommendations to the relevant authorities responsible for issuing restaurant
licences and liquor licences on stipulating on the licences the maximum number
of customers to be served at any one time by an individual pub; if they will, of
the criteria for determining the maximum number; and
(c) whether existing legislation has stipulated the maximum numbers of pubs to
be issued with liquor licences in a building and customers to be served at any
one time by such pubs?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) As at November 30, 2005, there are a total of 1,069 premises covered by
liquor licence with the bar endorsement. The breakdown of such premises by
district is shown in Annex I.
According to the record, there are 19 buildings each with four or more premises
covered by liquor licence with the bar endorsement. A list of these buildings is
at the Annex II. As for other buildings with such premises, the respective
number of premises is no more than three.
(b) Relevant departments will assess the adequacy of the means of escape in a
building according to the "Code of Practise for the Provision of Means of Escape
in Case of Fire" issued by the Buildings Department and having regard to the
design of different types of premises therein and the estimated number of
persons who may be accommodated in these premises based on their area. In
vetting applications for liquor licence, the Liquor Licensing Board (LLB) will
consider imposing additional licensing conditions on the maximum number of
customers at any one time in the premises with reference to the number of
persons who may be accommodated in the premises as estimated or prescribed by
relevant departments. As restricting the number of customers in premises with
liquor licence is outside the purview of the Fire Services Department (FSD), FSD
does not provide advice to LLB in this regard.
(c) Liquor licences are issued under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap.
109) and the Dutiable Commodities (Liquor) Regulations (Cap. 109, sub leg). The
law does not prescribe the maximum number of pubs in a building nor the maximum
number of customers to be served by such pubs.
Ends/Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:35
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