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likewise remarked on the high level of utilization of the existing public libraries. His suggestion that the greatest need for library facilities is in low-cost housing areas, where the dense population strains the recreational facilities available, may be true, but one feature of this subject is that library needs are probably greatest in the areas of high literacy. At any rate Mrs. ELLIOTT and her Library Select Committee have been planning the expansion of the library service in the next five years and have evolved a programme, covering most of the urban areas, which is now under consideration by Government. Meanwhile, as we have heard the Social Welfare Department is providing reading materials as part of its welfare activities in community centres.
Mr. Wilfred WONG spoke on the subject of hawkers and markets. May I say a few words in reply to him and to Mr. P. K. NG who supported him on the subject of markets.
At one time I believe that it was reasonable to hope that with the steady increase in fresh provision shops in all parts of the urban area Government need no longer divert public funds badly required for other purposes to the construction of new markets. I do not believe that it is possible for any of us to maintain this view any longer, and I feel that the need for Government intervention to fill the gap left by private enterprise has amply demonstrated itself. In the absence of markets and the service which they provide, the general public will turn to hawkers for their daily requirements in the way of vegetables and other staple foods. This, as we all know, can only lead to congestion in our streets and to a lowering of standards of cleansing and hygiene.
The Markets Select Committee, under Mr. WONG's chairmanship, has re-affirmed its belief in the importance of the Market-building Programme, and at this moment the department has in hand preparatory work on several projects. Revised schedules of accommodation for Shau Kei Wan and Ngau Tau Kok, incorporating several new features, have already been prepared, and schedules for Shek Tong Tsui, Mong Kok and Sai Wan Ho will be put to the Markets Select Committee in the next few weeks.
I am afraid that the results of this activity will not be apparent on the ground for some time, but I can state with confidence that work is very much in hand.
I come now to the remarks which Mr. Wilfred WONG, Mr. LOBO and Mr. BLAKER have made about hawkers. It would be very pleasant if I were able to report that a solution to this problem was in sight but, as we all know too well, this is not the case. Mr. LOBO has asked me for a statement about the progress of the Outline Plan for hawkers. Members will recall that in September 1966 the Standing Committee of the Council gave its provisional approval to the Outline Plan and sanctioned its circulation to the Government departments concerned for their comments. Meetings were subsequently held with the heads of interested departments, with the heads of branches in the Colonial Secretariat and with senior officers of the Police Force. Comment on the Plan covered many points of detail as well as wider aspects of general policy, and clearly I cannot attempt to summarize these comments at this time and place. One overriding feature has, however, emerged from the discussions which have been held, and this is that no plan for dealing with the hawker problem can hope to succeed unless Government is prepared to underwrite it in certain essential ways. The first of these is the expansion of the Hawker Control Force to a point where it can be responsible for hawker control work throughout the urban area. The second is the provision of hawker bazaars and markets in substantially larger numbers than before. Members will, I am sure, appreciate that I would be wasting their time if I were to refer the Plan back to them, either in its present form or in some modified version, unless I could give them some statement on Government's views on these points. This, I hope to be able to do before very much longer. Personally I feel sure that I should have had something more concrete to report by now but for the other preoccupations of Government this year. The time has not been wasted, though. Much has been going on departmentally, including the gathering of fresh basic information and the planning of amendments to legislation.
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I hope it will be clear from these remarks that lack of any outward sign of radical progress in this field since September 1966 can in no way be laid at the door of the Hawkers Select Committee or the Council in general.
Mr. Wilson WANG has referred to our new abattoirs and I would like to associate myself with his remarks. Recruitment of staff for the new abattoirs is in hand, and the response from members of the meat trade has been most encouraging.
Turning now to the Cleansing Division, Mr. Wilfred WONG suggested that special attention should be given to the cleansing of certain streets, which he named, in Hong Kong and Kowloon. I am always glad to have this sort of information, to supplement the work of my own supervisory staff. On investigation I have discovered that in all the relevant areas the main problem is that of hawkers, their paraphernalia and stock in trade, which, I need hardly inform Members, make it notoriously difficult to clean the streets adequately on account of the congestion of stalls and customers. During the civil disturbances, from May to October, we discontinued the operations of our Special Cleansing Gangs which had previously supplemented the work of the beat sweepers in those areas. This withdrawal of service, combined with the decrease in routine Police and Hawker Control Force
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