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Following is the English translation of a speech by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food Bureau, Dr York Chow, in moving a resolution under the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to amend the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Exhibitions) (Amendment) Regulation 2006 today (November 8):
Madam President,
I rise to move the motion to amend the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Exhibitions) (Amendment) Regulation 2006 ("the Amendment Regulation") standing in my name on the Order Paper to revise the exhibition licence fees for animals and birds as follows:
(1) The licence fee for not more than 20 animals and birds is to be lowered from $2,720 to $2,190; and
(2) The licence fee for more than 20 animals and birds is to be lowered from $9,700 to $7,790.
In response to calls from some members of public and LegCo members to allow racing pigeon activities to continue in Hong Kong after the law banning illegal poultry keeping came into effect, we have earlier decided to issue "exhibition licence for animals and birds" to racing pigeon keepers to regulate rearing of racing pigeons in order to protect public health and safeguard environmental hygiene.
For this purpose, we put forward a fee revision proposal to set different fee levels for licences issued under the Public Health (Animals and Birds)(Exhibitions) Regulations (Cap 139, sub. leg. F) at the meeting of LegCo Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene held on May 9, 2006. As the Panel did not raise objections to the proposal, the revised fee structure which lowered the licence fee from $10,720 to $2,720 for keeping not more than 20 animals and birds, and $9,700 for keeping more than 20 animals and birds respectively was gazetted on 7 July. The new licence fees came into effect on the day of gazettal to enable the Administration to issue licences to racing pigeon keepers at the lowered fees immediately.
The Subcommittee on the Amendment Regulations ("the Subcommittee") held several meetings to vet the proposal and raised some views about the licence fee levels. Having reviewed the regulatory work involved and adhering to the principle of "full cost recovery", the Administration agreed to enhance cooperation with racing pigeon keepers by requiring them to submit necessary information, such as cage sizes, to save the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department processing time and thus, lower the licence fees.
I therefore move the motion today to amend the Amendment Regulation to make the above-mentioned revision to fees for exhibition licence for animals and birds. If the motion is passed, we will arrange to refund the difference of the new and old fee to those licensees who have paid the old fee for the licences. In addition, we will also compile information about oversea regulatory measures on racing pigeons, which was requested by the Subcommittee, and submit it to the LegCo Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene for reference in due course. We shall also suitably review the regulatory measures for racing pigeons.
The above revision to the exhibition licence fees has the support of the Subcommittee. I hope Members would also support this motion.
Thank you, Madam President.
Ends/Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:52
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