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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 20 January 1988
number of advantages and disadvantages of summer time. The advantages are of course that it does provide extra hours light for people who are anxious for recreation in the evening and there is said to be some fuel saving as I have described. I understand from my friends on the Urban Council that there would be considerable saving on the parks which they operate because of the need to cut down on lighting in the evenings at a time when parks are used quite frequently. On the disadvantages, of course it is troublesome to adjust clocks twice a year. Some people, as Members have suggested, do like to get up early, even before 6 o'clock, and take their exercise and that would have to be in the dark. And for people living in crowded conditions it is a fact that earlier sunset brings relief from the summer heat. And so these are just some of the factors that will be taken into account. There are many more, Sir.
MR. HU: Sir, can this Council be advised when the Government will decide whether to take the matter further or not?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, as I have said to Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN, I think the initial assessment will take about a month or so.
MR. DESMOND LEE: Sir, what were the major reasons for the abolition of summer time in the 1970s and do these reasons still exist?
CHIEF SECRETARY: Sir, on the previous occasion when summer time was introduced in Hong Kong it was introduced on a year round basis and was not therefore purely a summer time situation, and many of the problems of early morning darkness caused a great deal of frustration in the community. The present proposal is that summer time should be introduced in the summer only and not throughout the whole of the year round and therefore some of these factors would be obviated.
Argyle Street Ophthalmic Centre
3. DR. IP asked: Given that a start on the Argyle Street Ophthalmic Centre project will be dependent upon the vacation of a Vietnamese refugee camp from the site in Argyle Street, will the Government inform this Council what the target date of vacation is and whether it foresees any possible problems in achieving this target?
SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: Sir, the Argyle Street Reception Centre is to be reprovisioned in part of the Kai Tak Transit Centre. The date for vacating the reception centre is dependent on the progress of the work necessary to refurbish accommodation for it in the Kai Tak Transit Centre. I am advised that this work will be completed in August 1988. We will then be able to vacate the site in Argyle Street not later than 1 September. We do not foresee any problems in achieving this target date.