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assist in better compliance with the law, and I shall ensure that this hawker area is covered in our plans for extending Hawker Control Force operations in Kowloon.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Will the Chairman please enquire from Government how much playground space will be made available in the proposed Yau Ma Tei Civic Centre?
(b) When will such playground space be ready for use by the public?
(c) What other facilities in the Yau Ma Tei Civic Centre will come under the management of this Council?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:-
The proposed Yau Ma Tei Civic Centre covers an area of about 6 acres adjoining Public Square Street. The first stage of the scheme comprises the new Kowloon General Post Office and Government Offices, on which building work will start during 1963. The second stage will probably comprise the new Yau Ma Tei Health Centre. No decision has yet been taken on subsequent stages of the scheme, but there are tentative proposals to include a multi-storey car park, a 36-classroom school and a social welfare community centre. If all these building projects are included in the final scheme, and if the Tin Hau Temple remains, there would probably be between one and two acres of land available for public recreation.
Since the layout of the Civic Centre as a whole is still under consideration, it is not known just which parts of the area will be set aside for public recreation. Until this is known, and until arrangements have been made to rehouse those persons now living in the area, it is not possible to say by what date any playgrounds or other public amenities could be provided.
At this stage it is not known whether any of the facilities in the proposed Civic Centre would come under the management of this Council, excepting items coming under the general heading of "Public Pleasure Grounds".
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You will have gathered, Sir, from my reply that the plans for this Civic Centre are still at a very early stage. When the scheme has progressed a little further I will be seeking the views of the Urban Amenities Select Committee.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN : -Mr. Chairman, may I ask, tentatively speaking, when will work commence on the tentative multi-storey car park?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I am afraid I do not know. That depends on when funds are made available by Finance Committee.
DR. LEE: Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a supplementary question arising out of this question. I wonder if the Director of Public Works can inform me whether provision for a library will be made in this Yau Ma Tei Community Centre?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:—I would say, Mr. Chairman, that this is one of the points on which it is hoped to seek the advice of the Urban Amenities Select Committee. Apart from the Post Office building and the clinic, nothing has been planned in any sort of detail at all.
DR. LEE: Would it be more appropriate to refer it to the City Hall (Policy) Select Committee rather than to the Urban Amenities Select Committee?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I would be delighted to refer to any Select Committee which Members wish. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: Is it the intention of Dr. LEE in making that recommendation that there should also be a City Hall in Kowloon? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:-I think you are out of order on that point, Sir.
(Laughter).
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: -I would like to ask Mr. SALES, through you, Mr. Chairman, whether or not he is proposing that there should be a City Hall in Kowloon.
MR. SALES-I have asked whether it was Dr. LEE's intention.
CHAIRMAN:-That would be on record.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a further question, through you, from the Director of Public Works. Since the planning of this Civic Centre is, I am given to understand, several years behind schedule through no fault of the Public Works Department, is there any tentative date by which it is expected that this Centre will be completed? I think the date was mentioned in a previous Government release.
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