HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
rather than "after" the estates have been occupied, so avoiding unlicensed hawkers occupying the open spaces for years, and, quite naturally objecting later to their removal.
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
Most estate recreation areas are fairly small, and with these Dr. BELL's wishes are, I think, now being largely met because of the increased provision of funds for recreation and the priority which the Parks, Recreation & Amenities Select Committee has awarded to recreation areas in low cost housing and resettlement estates. In this context, it is significant to note that at least one-third of the $4 million voted for minor recreation projects for the coming financial year is expected to be devoted to resettlement estates and areas of low cost housing and this percentage may of course be increased if Members wish. The Chairman of the Parks, Recreation & Amenities Select Committee has on two recent occasions, at the December meetings in fact, given clear evidence of his interest in this matter.
Some of the larger recreation grounds in estates are included in the Public Works Programme, and with these their timing is less within the Council's control since their priority is assessed in relation to competing claims from other departments.
When a request was made for special funds to be reserved for recreation areas in estates to enable them to be given priority, the request was not accepted by the Colonial Secretariat because it was considered that it would defeat the purpose both of the Block Vote and the general Public Works Programme procedure by which priority can be assigned to individual projects competing for the funds available.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, I wonder if as a result of that non-acceptance by the Colonial Secretariat whether they are aware that in estates such as Ham Tin, which are not yet completed but where there are many thousands of people living, they have absolutely no recreation area. There is space for it but it hasn't in any way been equipped or set up, and these people have been there for a long time now, I think 2 years at least.
CHAIRMAN:-I think the basic idea behind this ruling is that rehousing of people has a higher priority than recreation. To link the recreation costs to the construction costs would give automatically a distortedly higher priority to the recreational facilities than they would enjoy standing by themselves.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, have you not missed the essential part of this question, which is, in my opinion, "so avoiding unlicensed hawkers occupying the open spaces for years." Dr. BELL has given an example of Ham Tin whose first residents moved in over 2 years ago and on a recent visit we noticed unlicensed hawkers or hawkers who, even were they licensed, shouldn't have been where they are, and I would ask, therefore, that if it is Government's intention not to provide recreation simultaneously with residence, what other arrangements are being made to keep off hawkers, unlicensed and licensed, from occupying the open spaces. They quite naturally object, when, years later, somebody comes to remove them.
CHAIRMAN:---Sir, I am quite willing to bring this point of view and these remarks to the notice of the Colonial Secretary. Perhaps the position is not as bad as Dr. BELL and yourself have experienced in the past. With the substantial funds in the Block Vote next year, we shall be able to make progress in converting areas occupied by hawkers into recreational areas and we might find after another 12 months the position is considerably rosier than now.
DR. BELL:Mr. Chairman, I'm very glad to hear you say that you will be converting them, but the point that Mr. BERNACCHI has stressed here and which I was stressing in my question is why must we convert? Can they not start off in that way? Could you please ask the Colonial Secretariat perhaps to reconsider this question?
CHAIRMAN: -Yes, I shall underline the point you both made.
(7) DR. A. M. S. BELL asked the following question:-
Is it possible for this Council to consider the letting out of small open spaces in between resettlement blocks and at the ends of blocks to contractors who are prepared to organize bicycle, tricycle, and roller skate hiring to young children?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE Parks, Recreation AND Amenities Select Committee, replied as follows:
The proposal is an extension of one which was discussed in the Parks, Recreation and Amenities Select Committee last October when Members of that Committee agreed to develop for recreational purposes any available land within Resettlement Estates, provided that the proposal
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