Replies to LegCo questions

LCQ7: Contract requirements of street cleansing service

Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):

Question:

It has been recently reported in the press that the outsourced cleansing service contractors (contractors) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) did not provide changing facilities for staff to change their uniforms. As a result, female cleansing workers have to change their clothes in outdoor areas. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) whether FEHD has followed up the aforesaid report; if it has, of the progress; if not, the reasons for that;

(b) whether it is stipulated in the existing cleansing service contracts that contractors must provide changing facilities for their staff; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(c) whether it has provided contractors with sufficient space for setting up changing facilities to avoid recurrence of the aforesaid problem; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether the Government has other measures in place to solve the problem; if it has, of the measures; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

At present, the contracts entered into between the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and street cleansing service contractors are outcome-based. Requirements on the clothing of contractors' staff when providing street cleansing services are stipulated in the contracts.

My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

(a) In response to the media report about a contractor's staff changing into uniform in outdoor areas, FEHD, having looked into the matter, has urged the contractor concerned to make available as soon as possible a suitable place for its staff to change their uniforms. FEHD has also in writing asked the contractor to refrain from having its staff changing into uniform in outdoor areas. In the meantime, FEHD has made special interim arrangement to vacate a certain area in a nearby refuse collection point, without affecting its normal operation, for the contractor's staff to get their uniforms changed.

(b) The contracts signed between FEHD and its street cleansing service contractors stipulate that the contractors should ensure that their employees are wearing neat and tidy uniforms or special protective clothing as appropriate in the course of service provision. It is incumbent upon the contractors to arrange changing facilities for their staff in order to comply with the requirements of the contracts.

(c) The follow-up measures taken by FEHD in response to the incident mentioned have been set out in part (a) of the reply. Part (b) of the reply has made it clear that, under the contracts, the onus of providing their staff with appropriate changing facilities lies with the contractors. FEHD will continue to monitor closely the service performance of contractors, including their compliance with all the requirements of the contracts, and where necessary, provide suitable assistance subject to resource availability.

Ends/Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:15

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