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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
My answer is:
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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CHAIRMAN (In English):-Miss YEUNG, that was a very pretty speech. (Laughter). I noticed a lilt in your voice, so I accept that as (1) The criteria adopted by the Select Committee of which Miss Yeung herself is a member did not include whether or not an organization owns a hall. The Select Committee included only in those criteria the ability of the organization to organize a function, the artistic or cultural content of the function, the popularity of the function, the frequency that similar functions have been presented by the same organization, and the compensatory factor for new artists.
(2) I might advise Miss YEUNG that schools and other organizations without a hall might consider applying for the use of City Hall facilities at less popular times such as in the mornings if it is thought that the functions they wish to hold will not get high priority under the criteria adopted by the Committee. The City Hall should aim to serve the public at large and not individual organizations.
MISS YEUNG (In Cantonese):-I wish to ask a supplementary question, Mr. Chairman. If you say they hold their function in the morning, what is meant by "morning". The City Hall is normally open at 9 a.m. Therefore, when is the less popular time in the morning?
CHAIRMAN (In English):-It is not altogether in line with the original question, but I know Mr. T. S. Lo is in a position to answer it.
MR. T. S. LO (In English):-Mr. Chairman, I was going to ask Miss YEUNG perhaps to repeat her question. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Miss YEUNG, you must not rise to the bait. (Laughter). Please be seated. It is my duty to ensure that your question will be properly answered in the next City Hall Select Committee. It was not ruled out of order by the Chair, but accepted as a question, and so the answer will be given in the City Hall Select Committee. You must not allow the men on the other side of the table to bait you. (Laughter).
MR. T. S. LO (In English):-On a point of clarification, Mr. Chairman, I was certainly not baiting. (Laughter).
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Of course you were not.
MR. T. S. LO (In English):-The City Hall's evenings are particularly popular, and I think any time before the evening would be more convenient. However, with large functions being shown at the City Hall, of course, you will have time reserved possibly earlier during the day for rehearsals and so forth. But apart from those days when there are large functions in the evenings and rehearsals required earlier in the day, mornings would be more convenient.
MISS YEUNG (In Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I wish to know this. Many large functions are carried out in the evening, for example, drama and singing performances, and these are all very busy; they use the Hall for a longer time and need priorities established. Artists who come from overseas and have a large-scale performance requiring rehearsals may need a longer time for their performance. But the City Hall should be for the convenience of everybody in Hong Kong. Therefore, if people have their own halls, but not so well-equipped, these should be spared for people who do not have halls, for example, in the City Hall Garden. Should this be used more for people who have no hall?
(4) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question (In English):-
Can the Chairman of the Urban Council advise the Council:
(a) If he is aware that more than six baskets of refuse were left uncovered in the parking lot at Kowloon Tsai Park opposite the canteen as late as 11 a.m. on Sunday, 20th May, 1973?
(b) Can an investigation be made to see why the refuse was left there unattended for such a long period and not being properly covered?
(c) Can the person responsible be prosecuted for littering the area around the refuse basket as well as for leaving open the basket unattended?
(d) Is this the usual practice in Kowloon Tsai Park to have the refuse left there right in the parking lot?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (In Cantonese):-
This question, which is in four parts, relates to litter and refuse at Kowloon Tsai Park.
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