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MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I only wish that Government would look into their needs. In this respect, I associate myself with what Mr. SALES said at the very beginning of this debate that if people want to be resettled, the particular resite area should be cleared and they should be offered resettlement.
(10) MR. PETER C. K. CHAN asked the following question:-
At some stage this Council was considering to have its own public relation officer(s):
(a) May I know when will this materialize?
(b) If it is not going to materialize in the very near future, what are we going to do to improve our public image through good public relations?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
This question raises a very old issue, and for the benefit of new Members I would like to fill in some of the background to it. Similar questions were first asked by Mr. CHEONG-LEEN and Mr. SALES in October, 1959. It has since been asked on numerous occasions, and, on each, Members were informed that it was not, at the time, Government's policy to second officers from the Information Services Department to work full time with other departments on publicity.
It was in January, 1967, that Mr. BERNACCHI moved the setting up of a select committee to "make recommendations as to how the public at large could obtain the correct image of this Council's work". The subject of debate in this case was referred to the Standing Committee of the Whole Council for consideration when it was agreed that the original Ad Hoc Committee, which was set up to consider the future scope and operation of the Council, should be reconstituted under the title of Local Administration Select Committee and should, amongst other things, consider the question of publicity. Since the formation of that Select Committee in April, 1967, I am aware that Government's thinking on the question of providing public relations officers to departments has changed, and in August, 1968, the Select Committee was informed that Government had agreed in principle to the provision of public relations officers for a number of departments but had not, as yet, approved the funds. In April, 1969, the Select Committee was informed that Government had set up a committee to go into this question, and that the Committee was about to report back to Government. It was believed that the report recommended departmental public relations officers for a number of departments, including the Urban Services Department.
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Government had set up a committee to go into this question, and that the Committee was about to report back to Government. It was believed that the report recommended departmental public relations officers for a number of departments, including the Urban Services Department.
I am now informed by the Secretariat that a five-year phased programme for the strengthening of the Information Services Department has been approved and that this includes the establishment of departmental information units in certain departments where it is considered these services are required. The Urban Services Department is included as one such department, but I am, as yet, unaware of the priority which has been given to the Department. I have already made inquiries about this, and will inform Members of the position in due course.
In the meantime, publicity to be given to the various functions of the Council is being dealt with by the Local Administration Select Committee, and I would therefore propose to refer the second part of today's question to that Committee. In the meantime, the Government Information Services will, I am assured, continue to assist the Department and the Council in whatever way they can.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, do you know whether the report has also recommended a Public relations officer for the Resettlement Department?
CHAIRMAN:-I think it does, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, just one supplementary. You said in your answer that the Select Committee was informed that the Government had agreed in principle to the provision of public relations officers for a number of departments but had not, as yet, approved the funds. I understand that some departments have already got their public relations officers, or even their bureau. The Police have got their public relations bureau. It seems that it has approved part of the funds and not all of the funds. Am I correct in making that assumption?
CHAIRMAN: I said in my second last paragraph, Mr. CHAN, that there is a five-year phased programme which would seem to take care of your question.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, for the time being, the Government Information Service is still helping us with our publicity. How far are they prepared to help us, as a Council. Take, for example, a Councillor's enquiries about certain official information or certain
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