Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ15:Hygienic standard of toilet paper in public toilets
Following is a question by the Hon.Fred Li Wah-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment and Food, Mrs Lily Yam, in the Legislative Council meeting today (April 10):
Question
It has been reported that the bacterial content of the toilet paper provided in public toilets in Hong Kong exceeds the level prescribed in the Mainland hygiene standards, and may thus affect public health. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has conducted tests on the bacterial content of the toilet paper provided in public toilets; if it has, of the results; if not, whether it will do so;
(b) how it will urge the public toilet cleansing contractors (the contractors) to provide toilet paper that meets the hygiene standard; and
(c) whether it will prohibit the contractors from providing toilet paper which does not meet the hygiene standard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Answer
(a) Currently, Government departments do not conduct tests on the bacterial content of the toilet paper provided in public toilets under their purview. This is because the bacterial content of toilet paper only reflects the hygienic condition of the toilet paper and not the risk of users being infected by diseases. Users would only be infected if the bacteria on the toilet paper are harmful to humans, alive and contagious. Toilet paper provided in some public toilets was procured earlier by the Government Supplies Department (GSD) through open tender. For remaining toilets, their toilet paper is provided by the cleansing contractors. Relevant departments at present only request in the contracts with the cleansing contractors/providers to provide clean and hygienic toilet paper with no specific standard set for the bacterial content.
In order to raise the general hygienic standard, GSD has recently requested suppliers to provide toilet paper which meets the Mainland "Hygienic Standard for Disposable Sanitary Products" (GB 15979-1995) in the tender specification, and the suppliers have to provide relevant certificates as proof.
For the remaining toilet paper provided by the cleansing contractors, when individual relevant departments enter into new contracts with the contractors in future, they would request the contractors to provide toilet paper which complies with the hygienic standard stipulated in the tender specification of GSD.
(b) In future, when individual relevant departments request the contractors in the new contracts to provide toilet paper which complies with the hygienic standard stipulated in the tender specification of GSD, supervising officers, when patrolling public toilets, will check the record and see whether the toilet paper complies with the requirements in the new contract. If necessary, the officers will select samples for testing.
(c) Contractors generally have to provide clean and hygienic toilet paper as requested in the contract. In future, individual relevant departments will, in the new contracts with the contractors, request them to provide toilet paper which complies with the hygienic standard stipulated in the tender specification of GSD. If the contractors provide toilet paper which is not up to the standard, the departments concerned will request the contractors to change the toilet paper in order to comply with the requirements in the contract, or appropriate warning or disciplinary action may be taken against the contractors.
Wednesday, April 10, 2002