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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
offered by commercial funeral parlours. Plans are also in hand to provide the same range of facilities when the Council's Oil Street Depot is reprovisioned. Meanwhile, Government has earmarked three funeral parlour sites at Diamond Hill, Kowloon, one of which will be allocated to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals for the provision of a non-profit-making funeral parlour. In addition, another three funeral parlour sites will be made available at Hung Hom, Kowloon. Moreover, a site at Cap Collinson is under consideration for allocation to the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals for the setting up of another non-profit-making funeral parlour for the benefit of low-income families in the Colony.
MR. MACKENZIE (in English): Mr. Chairman, may I ask if the Cemeteries, Crematoria and Funeral Parlours Select Committee are in fact giving any consideration to the possibility of this Council sponsoring or promoting low-cost funeral parlours?
MR. CHAN (in English): Mr. Chairman, as a matter of fact my Committee in this forthcoming meeting will be considering the possibility and feasibility of making a proposal to this Council for running a funeral parlour of our own and, of course, I will duly report to this Council.
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As the Committee responsible for promoting better public relations, the Administration Select Committee is pleased to report on two notable developments: First, the Urban Council Handbook.
In order that there should be a better appreciation of the organization, membership and Select Committee structure of the Urban Council, an Information Handbook for 1973-74 has just been published and I am pleased to table initial copies at this meeting. A total of 50,000 copies is being printed and will be widely distributed to the news media and throughout the community. A copy is also being sent to all of those registered voters on the Urban Council Electoral Register. I believe that this is a useful and informative publication, and I can assure Members that the Administration Select Committee is already making some improvements in the translation section, the Chinese Language section, in the coming issue. Secondly, the appointment of a Public Relations Consultant.
To further assist the Council and the Administration Select Committee in our efforts to improve public relations, I am pleased to report that Michael Stevenson Ltd. has been appointed as Public Relations Consultants to the Urban Council. The principal of this company, Mr. Michael STEVENSON, is well-known in the public relations field in Hong Kong. He is a former Deputy Director of Government Information Services and, after his resignation, spent two years with a major Chinese newspaper publishing company before starting his own business. It is hoped that this appointment will help to speed up plans for improving public communications which are now being considered by the Public Relations Sub-committee of the Administration Select Committee. A further report will be submitted to this Council in due course.
REPORT BY CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE ON A CHANGE OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE SELECT COMMITTEE
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English): Mr. Chairman, in accordance with the proviso to the resolution adopted by this Council at the meeting on 10th April, 1973, I wish to report that Miss Ko Siu-wah has been accepted as a Member of the Administration Select Committee. Members of the Committee have no objection and, indeed, welcome the support and services of Miss KO SIU-WAH.
STATEMENTS
(1) MR. JOHN MACKENZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE (in English): Mr. Chairman, this Council is concerned with improving its communications with the public in order that its activities may be properly understood and public support secured.
(2) MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE (in English): Mr. Chairman, may I preface my remarks by expressing appreciation of the interest shown today in our library programme. With the approval of the Libraries Select Committee, I am making this brief report of our achievements in the past, and plans for the future. First of all, Study Rooms.
The Urban Council Public Libraries at present provide a total of 1,103 seats for students wishing to study in a controlled and quiet atmosphere. 821 of these seats are provided in the students reading rooms which are a feature of all five libraries at the City Hall, Waterloo Road, Aberdeen/Pok Fu Lam, Yau Ma Tei and Ping Shek-
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