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(d), and suggested that it would cost another $2 million to provide the 15,000 extra seats at a later stage without knowing when that stage would be reached, which year and what the conditions are likely to be then?
CHAIRMAN: - This was based on estimates prepared at the present time, Mr. SALES.
MR. SALES - At the present time. Would you really like to qualify your answer by stating that, Sir, because by the time Government makes up its mind twenty years hence to increase the seating accommodation I daresay the cost will be much greater. Sir, having in regard your reply to question (f), does that disparity in population between Kowloon and the Island not throw off-gear entirely the difference in the seating capacities of the two stadia, the one on the Island and a projected one in Kowloon, 35,000 for 2,200,000 roughly, and 28,000 for less than a million people, bearing in mind also that in close proximity to the Hong Kong Government stadium there are two other stadia, the Hong Kong Football Club and the South China. Would you like to answer that question?
CHAIRMAN: - I don't think this is necessarily so, Mr. SALES. A lot would depend on the football-going population. We can only see what happens when we build the 35,000 seat stadium.
MR. SALES: Sir, are you not aware of the fact that the Hong Kong stadium is located away from the density of population? The density of population in that part of the Island does not compare at all with the density of population of north-eastern Kowloon.
CHAIRMAN: - I would accept that Mr. SALES.
MR. SALES: - Then would you bring that to the attention of the Colonial Secretariat? Evidently that must have escaped their attention. Sir, are you also aware that there is no other stadium of any size in Kowloon which is for public use and controlled by a public authority?
CHAIRMAN: I am aware that there is only Boundary Street.
MR. SALES: But is Boundary Street controlled by a public authority?
CHAIRMAN: - It is part of the Urban Council set-up, I am not talking about the Police ground.
MR. SALES: Is the Boundary Street football ground not a relatively junior football ground?
CHAIRMAN: - It is not of the scale you envisaged, Mr. SALES.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SALES: So it is a junior football ground?
MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE: Mr. Chairman, in giving an estimate of the likely attendance, didn't the Government seek the advice of the Football Association. Presumably they are the best judges of potential attendance?
(Mr. Peter C. K. CHAN returned to the meeting at this point).
CHAIRMAN: - I couldn't be sure, Mr. FORSGATE, but certainly the attendances are known to us. As far as I am aware, last year there were only three occasions on which the stadium was full at football matches.
MR. FORSGATE: - But this, I may suggest, Mr. Chairman, is because of the standard of football offered. If there is better facility, for example, during the Santos occasion, it would possibly attract larger crowds.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, is Government not aware that the Hong Kong Football Stadium is located in a part of the Island where the difficulty of transport to Kowloon residents is enormous, whereas the stadium which is projected for Kowloon does not present the same difficulty?
CHAIRMAN: - I think they are well aware of this, Mr. SALES.
MR. SALES - Indeed, Mr. Chairman, in reply to question (g) you gave the statement that the Urban Services Department was consulted, but you did not mention which other departments were consulted in this matter, because my question was phrased in the plural.
CHAIRMAN: - This is the only one they consulted.
MR. SALES - Are you sure on that point, Mr. Chairman? CHAIRMAN: - I am sure.
MR. SALES: - Are you aware, Sir, that it is common knowledge to the Select Committee that the Police was also consulted, and the Police expressed a definite opinion on this matter?
CHAIRMAN: - You are quite wrong about their being consulted, Mr. SALES. The Police wrote to us.
MR. SALES: - Well in which case they expressed an opinion whether they were directly consulted by us or indirectly consulted by the Government. They expressed an opinion strongly in favour of our seating capacity. Is that not true?
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