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DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I would be grateful for an answer to that. Could I say a word of explanation? A few cases have come my way where children in the estates have been refused entry into any of the local primary schools because they have failed, at the age of 51 or 6, to pass an entrance examination.
(17) MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:·
In order to make up for the insufficient educational, employ- ment and recreational opportunities for young people in the resettlement estates where more than one million people live in high density conditions, can the Commis- sioner for Resettlement:
(a) Advise this Council which Resettlement Estates do not have youth clubs and vocational training centres; and
(b) Bring these details to the attention of the Social Welfare, Education and Labour Departments for whatever action that can be taken to provide such facilities in these estates?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows: -
Of the 18 urban estates, 4 have neither youth clubs nor vocational training centres. These 4 are Ham Tin, Ngau Tau Kok, Tin Wan and Shek Pai Wan. Another 5 estates, that is, Tai Hang Tung, Jordan Valley, Sau Mau Ping, Tsz Wan Shan and Yau Tong have no vocational training centres.
As Members are aware, welfare facilities cannot be satisfac- torily provided on an adequate scale in domestic blocks of the new estates and for this reason special buildings are to be constructed for the purpose. The first of these blocks is under construction at Ham Tin and similar blocks for Sau Mau Ping, Tsz Wan Shan and Ngau Tau Kok are expected to be completed next year.
These blocks will provide facilities for group activities, includ- ing youth work, but I am informed that they will not normally accommodate vocational training schemes except in cases where the Director of Social Welfare is satisfied that the training provided by the agency is of such a standard as to offer real prospects of subsequent employ- ment.
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The departments responsible for planning these facilities are aware of the position. Their responsibilities extend of course to the whole Colony and I do not think it could be said, as implied in the question, that resettlement residents are worse off in this respect than the population as a whole.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, on a matter of personal expla- nation, I do not accept the statement in the last paragraph of the reply. This Council is responsible for the overall welfare of all our resettle- ment residents and because we are responsible that is why we feel that we are duty bound to bring to the attention of all Government depart- ments the deficiencies in education, welfare services, medical facilities and other aspects to the departments concerned. There is no implica- tion in the question, as far as I can see, that we are saying that resettle- ment residents are worse off in the provision of social services than the population as a whole, but we feel that is it our responsibility, since we are responsible for the welfare of the resettlement estates residents, to point out these deficiencies to Government.
man?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Is that a question Mr. Chair-
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Now, I hope that the Commissioner for Resettlement would accept that explanation.
(Mr. WOO Po-shing left the meeting at this point).
MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I have a supplementary to ask. Does the Commissioner for Resettlement know how those youth clubs and vocational training centres are functioning? Are they functioning fairly well or not?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I am afraid I can't answer that question. The ones that I've seen certainly seem to be functioning quite well. I don't know if I can go beyond that.
MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, I might be wrong but my information is that those youth centres and vocational training centres are not function- ing very well because lots of teddy boys occupy those youth centres and clubs and the decent boys will not dare go in. Is that true or not? I might be wrong.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: -I've not heard that said Mr. Chairman, but I'll certainly make some enquiries and if that is correct I'll see what can be done about it.
MR. HU:-I'm grateful for that.