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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before taking the first item on to-day's agenda, Members will, I am sure, wish me to express our warm congratulations to Mrs. Ellen LI and Mr. Wilfred WONG on their appointment to the Legislative Council. It is a matter of particular pleasure that the distinction of being the first lady Legislative Councillor in Hong Kong has fallen upon our colleague, Mrs. LI. (Applause).
Members will also wish me to congratulate Mr. BERNACCHI, Dr. P. F. Woo and Mr. FUNG Hon-chu on their appointment by Her Majesty the Queen, in the Birthday Honours List, as Officers of the Order of the British Empire. These appropriate recognitions of merit bring further lustre to our assembly.
I should also like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. H. W. WYILE who has taken over the duties of Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services during the absence on leave of Dr. COOMBES and who joins this Council for the first time to-day. (Applause).
MR. SALES-Mr. Chairman, the Unofficial Members would like to be associated with you in the congratulations which you have proffered. First, to the Hon. Wilfred WONG and Mrs. Ellen LI on their appointment to the Legislative Council. We are confident that Mr. WONG's appointment will add considerable force to medical opinion in that body. (Laughter). We are, however, very gravely concerned that the discrimination which the male of the species has suffered up to the present time will be greatly increased by the addition of Mrs. Li to the Council. We can only hope and pray that she will show some measure of mercy on our sex. (Laughter).
To Mr. BERNACCHI, Dr. P. F. Woo and Mr. FUNG Hon-chu, go our sincere congratulations. We all feel that if anybody deserves to be honoured, these colleagues certainly do many times over. Mr. Chairman, on this occasion I cannot help commenting upon the fact that there are more Officers of the Order of the British Empire on the elected side than there are on the appointed side. (Laughter).
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 1st June, 1965 were confirmed.
PAPERS.
The Chairman laid upon the table the following paper:-
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of June 1965.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. BERNACCHI :-Mr. Chairman, I lay upon the table the editorial from the Hong Kong Tiger Standard last Sunday with the hope that the suggestions contained therein will be referred to the Urban Amenities Select Committee.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I as Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee make two comments without reference to the editorial which appears on the table. No doubt the content of it will be considered by the Select Committee at the appropriate time. The two comments which I wish to make are as follows.
There is in existence an ad hoc sub-committee appointed by the Urban Amenities Select Committee for the express purpose of surveying the beaches in the New Territories and recommending which ones should be improved so that the public will be able to use them to better advantage. This measure should have been carried out many years ago. Unfortunately the Urban Council has no direct say on beaches in the New Territories. I have repeatedly asked that actual control be vested in this Council. The increasing demand by the public for better amenities at the beaches cannot be ignored for much longer. Pressure of population demands that Government take prompt action to remedy the deficiency which exists. I am waiting for this report which I am confident will be a strong one, so that the Select Committee may take the necessary measures to improve the situation. Mr. Chairman, I would like to mention that this sub-committee has started working. This sub-committee has done so, even at times, if not at much risk to the lives of the members of that sub-committee, certainly to their great discomfort.
The second point concerns the free advice which my Select Committee has been given by a colleague who is not himself a member of that sub-committee. While we certainly appreciate this unsolicited co-operation, we would prefer that he accept our invitation to join the Select Committee rather than give offhand opinions, mostly through the medium of the press, because the carefully thought out plans of my Select Committee involve timetables, the careful choice of locations and the style which each amenity is to take. These matters can be easily upset by careless advice which may in fact be misrepresented as being the opinion of the Urban Council. Sir, these are the comments which I have to make as the Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee, as you lay the papers on the table this afternoon.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of order, could I ask Mr. SALES who is that person whom he has been referring to?
MR. SALES: --Would you like me to answer that question, Sir?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, could I ask Mr. SALES to elaborate further and state in what manner such facts have been placed
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