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turn down the volume at 11 p.m. Very few complaints of noise from these sets have been received but if Mr. WONG or any one else has details of any sets which are causing a nuisance I will be glad to see that appropriate action is taken.
MR. WONG:- I have no further questions. I would like to thank Mr. FORSGATE for the comprehensive answer.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Am I to understand, Mr. Chairman, that only one Television Station is interested in this programme and that the other Television Company is not at all interested?
MR. FORSGATE:- Oh, no, on the contrary, the other Television Station was the leader in this. The one mentioned, T.V.B., has only lately come in.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- In other words, both television stations are interested in the programme and they are both participating?
MR. FORSGATE:- Indeed.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Thank you.
(7) MR. RAYMOND Y. K. KAN asked the following question:
(a) What is the annual budget for the purchase of art works in the last few years? And the actual expenditure each year? How many items are acquired annually?
(b) What is the total amount expended on these purchases since the opening of City Hall? What is the present assessed value of the collection?
(c) What is the present policy governing these purchases, such as the percentage of works in the various branches of art like sculpture, paintings, pottery, etc., the percentage of works by local and overseas artists, and the degree of specialization of the Art Gallery? When was the policy formulated? And by whom?
(d) Is there an advisory panel of qualified persons to carry out assessment, selection and acquisition of art works? Is there any long-term plan for collecting these works in quantity and quality in anticipation of the establishment of the Museum and Art Gallery in Tsim Sha Tsui in future?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the purchase of art works for the City Museum and Art Gallery.
(a) In the financial year 1968-69, the vote for art and museum acquisition was $151,000 and expenditure on art works was $139,911 with which 221 items were bought. In the year 1969-70, the vote was again $151,000, expenditure on art works was $100,696 and 138 items were bought. In the year 1970-71, the vote was $161,000, expenditure on art works was $140,731 and 91 items were acquired.
(b) The total expenditure on art and museum acquisitions since the opening of the City Hall is approximately $900,000. It is impossible to give an accurate valuation of the museum's holdings which include some valuable collections donated to the museum including the Ho Tung Collection and Chater Collection, but in view of the continuing upward trend of the art market, the museum's collections should be worth something in the region of two to three million dollars.
(c) The general policy concerning Museum and Art Gallery collection was formulated by the Museum and Art Gallery Select Committee and its advisors in 1965 and is contained in the Report on Museum and Art Gallery Services. It states that these will either be of local origin or relevant to local residents and the Museum will thus ultimately reflect the history and culture of Hong Kong and its relationship to the neighbouring region in its broadest sense. There are also more specific policies for each of the five sections of the museum. For example, for contemporary art emphasis is on works by Hong Kong artists, to be enriched by the inclusion of 20th century work by artists living or working in the Far East. For Chinese art and antiquities, emphasis is on works of Kwangtung and South China. These policies have been supplemented by various subsequent decisions of the Select Committee, but there is no specific policy such as percentage of works in different media, by local or overseas artists.
(d) The Museum & Art Gallery Select Committee has appointed a total of nine advisory panels consisting of experts in various specialized fields with which the Museum & Art Gallery collections are concerned. The terms of reference for five of these panels include advice