1.   But municipal counselor Leung Kwok-cheong, vice-chairman of an environmental hygiene committee, said the government is reluctant to share information with elected officials.

2.   Dr Pang Hok-tuen, chairman of the environmental hygiene select committee for the Provisional Regional Council, said he wanted an urgent investigation.

3.   GOVERNMENT officials have cast doubts on the efficiency of the two municipal councils to oversee food safety and environmental hygiene, especially in matters relating to the mainland.

4.   He said half of their workload would be reduced once food safety and environmental hygiene were removed from their area of responsibility.

5.   He said his proposal would enable elected councillors to oversee the work in both food safety and environmental hygiene.

6.   Mr Leung questioned the ability of the councils to take charge of food safety and environmental hygiene at the City Forum yesterday.

7.   She said nowhere else in the world were food safety and environmental hygiene supervised by a municipal council.

8.   The plan includes tightened control on importing of chickens from the mainland, enhanced surveillance and improvements in environmental hygiene in markets.

9.   They are opposed to government proposals to strip the councils of their responsibilities for food safety and environmental hygiene.

10.   Under the proposal, the urban and regional councils will be merged into a city council that will continue to look after food safety and environmental hygiene.