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Stella Lee

INTRODUCING a licensing system for sex shops may attract more people to open them, the Recreation and Culture Branch has warned in a paper to be put to the Legislative Council for discussion today.

   But the branch said it remained open to discussion whether there should be such a system for shops selling sex aids, pornographic publications and videos.

  The call for a licensing system was sparked by North Point residents' objections to a plan to set up a sex shop in the Provident Centre.

  Concern groups suggested licensing conditions would ensure sex shops were not allowed to operate in residential areas and would not admit people under 18.

  They also suggested that articles on sale in the shops should not be visible from the outside.

  While the branch agreed that having a licensing system would tighten control of operations of this type, which at present have no specific legislative restraints, careful consideration was needed.

  ''By introducing a licensing system we may be attracting interest to set up more such establishments, which may not necessarily be in the public interest,'' the branch's paper said.

  ''The fundamental issue to be addressed is whether the problem is of such magnitude as to warrant the introduction of an elaborate licensing system which requires the administration to set aside already scarce resources to manage and administer.''   The paper said Western-style sex shops, where the entire shop was dedicated to the sale and display of sex aids, were not common in the territory.

  Only a handful of shops and side-street magazine stalls in Shamshuipo, Mongkok, Yau Ma Tei and Tsim Sha Tsui had been found selling and displaying sex aids and gimmicks, such as playing cards and plastic dolls.

  The paper also said that existing legislation covered some key issues related to sex shops, including control over the possible nuisance caused by the display and sale of indecent articles to minors.

  The deputy chairman of Legco's Recreation and Culture Panel, Man Sai-cheong, said that in the meeting he would also raise the problem of the influence of pornographic movie posters and computer games on young people.



Licensing may encourage more sex shops to open