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MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- That assurance is accepted.
MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, what I am unable to understand is the fact that in his question, paragraph (a), Dr. LEE brought out the fact that Government is spending over $500,000 for departmental libraries and intends to spend only $400,000 for public libraries. At the same time, there are 104,000 registered readers in public libraries and only 2,000 Government officers. Dr. LEE has pointed out that the literacy rate of the population is about 750,000 and I am appalled to read that Dr. LEE suggests that the literacy rate among civil servants is considerably lower than in the general population. Are you able to explain that?
CHAIRMAN:- Gladly, Sir. I would ask my good friend Mr. BERNACCHI to rise on this. A lot of this money is spent on the Legal Department library, the Supreme Court library and various other libraries with the intention of elevating the standards of the learned profession of the law in Hong Kong. (Laughter).
MR. SALES:- I accept that statement too. By the same token, am I to understand that other civil servants serving in other Government departments do not read at all? Because if so much money is spent only for the Legal Department and the Judiciary, then much less would proportionately be spent for the use of other Government departments. Am I right?
MR. BERNACCHI:- As Mr. SALES has accepted your statement, Mr. Chairman, there is hardly any need for me to say more. (Laughter).
MR. SALES:- Sir, is this Council to understand that so much money is spent for the libraries of the Legal Department and the Judiciary in order to enable them to reach the weighty conclusion that the Urban Council is not part of the Hong Kong Government, as they did in reply to Mr. BERNACCHI a month ago? (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:- I do not know, but I would be glad to endeavour to produce a paper for you to show, if I may, the money which is being spent on periodicals and books in Government libraries, as opposed to the public libraries.
MR. SALES:- I think that information should also be made available to the Library Select Committee, Sir.
(4) MR. LI YIU-BOR asked the following question:
I have received complaints from several residents of resettlement estates that when they have to sign any document in an estate office, they are required by the staff to sign their names and to put their fingerprints on the document. Will the Chairman inform this Council whether or not these complaints are in fact true and, if so, will he consider stopping this practice, except in cases of persons who are unable to write their own names?
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CHAIRMAN:- Sir, I regret that I must answer this question owing to the absence of the Commissioner for Resettlement. I remember my first meeting in this Council, when Mr. BERNACCHI complained that my voice was so monotonous. I trust it will not be too monotonous this afternoon.
MR. SALES:- Sir, I assure you that it has been enriched by constant replies to supplementaries since you first joined this Council. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN:- I only apologize in advance. I do trust and hope that members will spare me supplementaries on these questions! (Laughter).
MR. BERNACCHI:- I rise on a point of order, Mr. Chairman. I think you quote me out of context. (Laughter).
THE CHAIRMAN, in the absence of THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT, replied as follows:-
There are a number of official documents on which the Resettlement Department requires either a signature or a thumb print. These documents include tenancy cards, applications for addition or deletion of persons in the authorized household, applications for transfer of shops, screening forms, and resettlement cards (commonly known as "white cards"). It has been found that a number of those who are resettled are illiterate and they are required to affix their thumbprint to documents if they are unable to sign their names.
2. Mr. Li Yiu-bor may rest assured that, if a person is able to sign his name to an official document, it is not the practice for officers of the Resettlement Department to require thumb-printing as well. Nevertheless, in view of the complaints which Mr. Li has received, Mr. BARTY has issued a reminder to resettlement staff to make the position clear.
3. Mr. BARTY is not aware of any cases where residents of resettlement estates who are literate have been required both to sign and thumbprint official documents, but would be glad to investigate if Mr. LI would let him have details.
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