Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ15: Hygiene blackspots
Following is a question by the Hon Alan Leong and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today
(February 16):
Question:
Recently, I have received complaints from residents in Kwun Tong that the
operators of a small number of wet goods stalls located on the ground floor of
their building did not conduct thorough cleaning work after operation hours,
resulting in an accumulation of bloody discharge and meat scraps which gave off
bad smell from time to time and caused cockroach and rodent infestation
problems. These residents pointed out that apart from affecting the hygienic
conditions of the streets, such a situation also caused inconvenience to the
residents upstairs and nearby. In this connection, will the Government inform
this Council:
(a) what criteria are adopted by the authorities for identifying hygiene
blackspots;
(b) whether the authorities will regularly publicise the latest list of hygiene
blackspots to enable the public to monitor improvements made to the hygiene
blackspots; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether the authorities had formulated special hygiene guidelines for wet
goods stalls on the street and those near residential buildings in the past
three years; if they had, whether the authorities will conduct regular
inspections to ensure that those stalls comply with the guidelines?
Reply:
President,
One of the important tasks of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD)
is to provide a clean and hygienic environment for the people of Hong Kong,
including undertaking regular street sweeping / washing and pest control work.
Having regard to characteristics of individual sites (e.g. locations where there
is a conglomeration of different types of shops causing environmental hygiene
problems), FEHD will increase the frequency of street washing and pest control
work as appropriate. Shop operators also have the responsibility to keep their
shops and surroundings clean and hygienic in order not to affect pedestrians and
residents.
Regarding the three parts of the question, my response is set out as follows:
(a) and (b) In light of the exceptional circumstances of the global and local
outbreaks of human swine influenza, FEHD, after taking into account the hygiene
conditions of various districts and in consultation with the District Councils (DCs),
identified 105 hygiene blackspots in the territory in May 2009 and conducted
large-scale cleansing operations at these blackspots. The cleansing operations
were completed in February last year. After inspection, the DCs agreed that the
condition of the blackspots in their respective districts had significantly
improved and the blackspots could be removed from the list. Nonetheless, FEHD
will continue to be in close liaison with various political parties, DC members
and local personalities to monitor the hygiene condition of the locations
concerned as well as all other areas across the territory. Additional cleansing
services will be provided where necessary to maintain environmental cleanliness
and hygiene.
(c) If the shop concerned is a licensed food premises (e.g. a fresh provision
shop selling meat), FEHD officers will conduct regular inspections to the
premises. To safeguard food safety, maintain environmental hygiene and prevent
polluting the environment, inspecting officers will check the hygiene standards
of the food and premises, as well as the hygiene condition of the surroundings
of the premises to ensure that food business operators and workers comply with
statutory requirements and licensing conditions. Taking the rear lanes of food
premises as an example, FEHD officers will also conduct inspections to ensure
that no food is prepared or utensils washed by the operators there, otherwise
warnings will be issued or prosecutions will be initiated. During the inspection
of premises, FEHD officers will provide advice to food business operators on how
to uphold food and environmental hygiene, e.g. pest control measures, proper
ways to store and dispose of waste and garbage, etc. In case of breaches of
statutory requirements or licensing conditions, FEHD officers will take
appropriate actions against the food business operators concerned, including
issue of warning, initiation of prosecution as well as registration of points
under the Demerit Points System. For recalcitrant operators, they will be
penalised through suspension or cancellation of licences.
If the shop is not a licensed food premises (e.g. a vegetable or fruit stall
which is not required to apply for a food premises licence from FEHD), in case
of hygiene problems, FEHD will also take enforcement actions as appropriate
having regard to the circumstances. Moreover, FEHD works with the DCs and
relevant departments from time to time to implement measures to improve
environmental hygiene. FEHD also organises promotional activities to strengthen
the dissemination of environmental hygiene messages to shop operators and the
general public.
Ends/Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:46
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