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(f) All the voluntary welfare organizations engaged in this field of activity are in receipt of financial assistance from Government, obtainable through the Education Department in the case of schools and the Social Welfare Department in the case of clubs and centres. One of the organizations, namely the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, operates a day school for deaf children with a subsidy from the Education Department but its evening school is run privately.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, it would appear that a very few children are getting very great benefits from these organizations. I would be glad if you could ask the Director if he would consider, in resettlement estates especially because so many underprivileged people do live there, if he could set up very simple play centres where children can be put to play under supervision during the whole time that their parents are at work? In this way I think he would make a cheaper means of Social Welfare assistance to set the parents free to work, and I think Resettlement estates would be the places to begin.
CHAIRMAN:- I will pass the message on.
MR. BERNACCHI:- These figures are worrying. I think 0.1% are mentally disabled, this is a world-wide figure. Now there are over one million people in resettlement areas and from the final paragraph of answer (a), these 160 children are not all from resettlement estates. Two thirds of the inhabitants of resettlement estates are children. What more is the Director of Social Welfare doing for mentally disabled children in resettlement estates?
CHAIRMAN:- Strictly speaking, this is out of order, Mr. BERNACCHI. It is a new question, but I will be happy to pass it to the Director of Social Welfare.
(4) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
In view of the continuous and rapid expansion of cultural services provided by the Urban Council to meet a real need on the part of the general public, will it be possible to change the name of the City Hall Select Committee to "Cultural Affairs Select Committee" and to expand the terms of reference to conform with its expanding functions on the understanding that there will be no conflict with the existing functions of the Library Select Committee and the Museum and Art Gallery Select Committee?
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MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE CITY HALL SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
This question suggests changing the name of the City Hall Select Committee to "Cultural Affairs Select Committee" so as to reflect the function of the Select Committee more accurately.
According to our practice each year at this time, the constitution of Select Committees, their powers and composition will be considered by the Standing Committee of the Whole Council at its next meeting so that any necessary changes may be discussed before the reconstitution of Select Committees is resolved at the meeting of the Council to be held early in April. I have asked the Secretary of the Council to include Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's suggestion in the paper to be issued to the Standing Committee for consideration so that it may be taken into account when the important matter of Select Committees is studied. Of course, the City Hall Select Committee will be consulted in the first place.
(5) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
Can the Chairman of the Library Select Committee advise what library and/or reading room facilities are available and are being planned for students and residents in the Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei districts?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
This question purports to deal with public library and/or reading-room facilities for students and residents in the Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei districts—but it is perhaps "study-rooms" rather than "reading-rooms" (which are a normal adjunct to libraries) with which Mr. CHEONG-LEEN is concerned.
At present, residents in the Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei districts visit the Urban Council Public Libraries at either the City Hall or Cambridge Court, Waterloo Road. However, I am glad to add that in the Council's expansion programme (which has been approved in principle by the Governor in Council), a permanent main library in Kowloon is to be established at Yau Ma Tei. This will be situated on the ground and mezzanine floors (with some 17,000 sq. ft.) of the multi-storey car park now
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