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MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, would this tragedy not suggest that there is in fact a dreadful shortage of recreational facilities for poor children in every district in Hong Kong? In the circumstances, Mr. Chairman, would you kindly bring to the attention of Government the plan of the Urban Amenities Select Committee to have a swimming pool in every under-privileged area in this Colony?
MR. BERNACCHI: -Hear, hear.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -Sir, I would point out that there are more people drowned in Urban Council pools than in this pool.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, would that not suggest that Government has not given the Urban Services Department the staff that has been required to rescue such possible cases of drowning?
CHAIRMAN: -Sir, if I may be allowed to come to your rescue in your embarrassment, (Laughter) there are fortunately many more people who swim in Urban Council pools than in such places as Morrison Hill.
MR. SALES: —I would like to agree with you, Mr. Chairman, but the facts prove that there is essentially a very grave shortage of recreational facilities, so poor children swim in the harbour notwithstanding the bad pollution that exists in the water, and also without proper rescue facilities being made available for them.
MRS. ELLIOTT: -Mr. Chairman, may I ask, if it is not outside the subject of this question, whether Ma Tsai Hang could also be taken into consideration in the same way? I believe there is a similar pool there.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -I was not aware that there was one there.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: - Mr. Chairman, perhaps I might intervene. Is that the pool just north of Lung Cheung Road opposite to Wang Tau Hom Estate? As I recollect, the last time I saw it not many days ago, that particular pool is now dried up or has been drained.
MRS. ELLIOTT: -Mr. Chairman, it was reported to me a few days ago, but it is possible that it has subsided.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I ask whether the Vice-Chairman was misleading this Council when he said that more people had drowned in Urban Services Department's pools than on this particular occasion and in this particular pool. Could you tell us whether, in fact, this last summer there were 9 fatalities in the two pools under your responsibility?
CHAIRMAN: -I do not think, Sir, that there were as many as 9, or anything like that number.
MR. SALES: Thank you, Sir. In the circumstances, would the Vice-Chairman retract his remarks about the Urban Services Department's pools?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES: -This is one fatality, Sir.
MR. SALES: -It is reported that there were 9 a boy aged 9 I beg your pardon. (Prolonged laughter). But in any case, Mr. Chairman, you said there were not as many. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN: -I said, Sir, that there were not many fatalities in Urban Council pools.
MOTIONS.
(1) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI moved the following motion :-
This Council urges the legislature to pass the necessary amendments to the Urban Council Ordinance to enable the recommendations contained in this Council's interim report on revision of the Election Procedure to be incorporated into the final register of electors for the March 1965 Election.
He said: Mr. Chairman, I rise to move the motion standing in my name. I will not take up too much of Members' time as it is already quite late and there are another two motions to follow. But I feel very strongly over this question. The Standing Orders and Procedure Select Committee met a number of times and issued an Interim Report designed specifically to make improvements in the election procedure for the March 1965 Election. You, Mr. Chairman, answered my question last time with the indication that although the recommendations of this Council had been forwarded to Government in July-early July, I think-Government had not had enough time to study the recommendations before publication of the Provisional Register on October the 1st. I remember, Mr. Chairman, 11 years ago, the Legislature passed amending legislation, I think it was in the latter part of 1953, to enable a much increased Electoral Register to be prepared for the elections in early 1954, and again when the number of elected seats was raised from 4 to 8 in 1954/1955, amendments to the Urban Council Ordinance were necessary and were passed, I think late in the year 1954, for the March 1955 Elections. We have been
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