Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ17: Fixed penalty notices
Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (February 26):
Question:
Will the Government inform this Council of the following since the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) Ordinance (Cap. 570) came into operation in June last year:
(a) the number of fixed penalty notices issued in each month, with a breakdown by the types of public cleanliness offences, and the number of summonses issued in relation to such offences by magistrates' courts in each of the preceding three years; and
(b) the number of cases in each month in which designated public officers were assaulted while enforcing the Ordinance, with a breakdown by categories of public officers, the number of persons arrested for the attacks, and the penalties imposed on those who have been convicted?
Reply:
(a) Monthly statistics on the number of fixed penalty notices issued since June 2002, with a breakdown by the types of public cleanliness offences, are tabulated below:
| Month | Littering | Spitting | Unauthorised display of bills or posters |
Fouling of street by dog faeces |
Total |
| Jun 2002 | 831 | 96 | 27 | 0 | 954 |
| Jul 2002 | 1,090 | 140 | 55 | 3 | 1,288 |
| Aug 2002 | 1,186 | 192 | 55 | 4 | 1,437 |
| Sept 2002 | 1,123 | 151 | 57 | 1 | 1,332 |
| Oct 2002 | 1,245 | 194 | 85 | 0 | 1,524 |
| Nov 2002 | 1,314 | 189 | 77 | 1 | 1,581 |
| Dec 2002 | 1,256 | 197 | 48 | 6 | 1,507 |
| Jan 2003 | 1,225 | 242 | 56 | 1 | 1,524 |
The number of summonses issued by magistrates' courts in relation to the above offences in the past three years is as follows:
| Year | Littering | Spitting | Unauthorised display of bills or posters |
Fouling of street by dog faeces |
Total |
| 2000 | 17,056 | 3,039 | 399 | 40 | 20,534 |
| 2001 | 20,623 | 3,322 | 421 | 44 | 24,410 |
| 2002 (Jan to May) |
6,316 | 966 | 106 | 7 | 7,395 |
(b) Since the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) Ordinance came into operation, there was a total of nine cases in which designated public officers were assaulted during enforcement. These cases involved officers of the Foreman (FM) and Hawker Control Officer (HCO) Grades. A monthly breakdown of the case statistics, together with the number of persons arrested for the attacks and the penalties imposed on the convicts, are tabulated in Annex.
End/Wednesday, February 26, 2003
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