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MISS CECILIA L. Y. YEUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, in the past years, under the able Chairmanship, guidance and co-operation of my fellow Councillors, I have had the chance of serving the people on this Council, a chance for which I am very grateful. For today's annual debate, I have gathered the following points for your consideration.
1. Since the Council became financially independent, hundreds of things needed to be done and every one of them required money. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary for the Council to ask for more allocation of the Rates and Property Taxes to augment recurrent expenditures, so that we can continue to expand our services to the people.
2. As Vice-Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee, I have noticed that recently unemployment has been on the increase and the unemployed have taken up hawking provisionally. I have realized that the proposal for putting up provisional Hawkers Market by this Council should now be put into practice and, if necessary, temporary hawker's licences should be issued, in order to relieve the unemployed and to keep law and order.
3. At present, there are less than one lady councillor to five men in our Council and equal pay for women in Government department is coming into being in middle of 1975, therefore I feel it is this Council's job to call upon electors to elect more women candidates to compete for the councillorship. This, I sincerely hope, will pool the best brains from both sexes to work for Hong Kong's prosperity and progress.
4. The Catering Trade in the Urban area is for the convenience and benefit of the salary earning class and is supported by the masses. I am grateful to both Mr. BERNACCHI and Mr. Charles SIN for supporting my motion in allowing the Caterers to be licensed in a flat to carry on their trade.
5. Electors are rather cool and perhaps even disinterested about the Urban Council Elections. I think it is now opportune to request that Education be put under Urban Council's supervision. In England, Education Advisory Committees are under the jurisdiction of the County Councils and they are in direct control of Educational matters within their district. Rates go to the County Council, too. Taking the UK system into consideration, this Council has an obligation to look after educational matters for H.K. people. Therefore, Urban Councillors should be included as committee members on Education Advisory Committees, to help map out plans for educating the younger generation and to put forward constructive and practical education systems.
6. I feel this Council also has an obligation to the people of Hong Kong on all the franchised public utility companies like the bus, the Light & Power and Telephone Co. and so on. We should at least have Council Members sitting in the Advisory Committees in all the public utility companies to advise on matters of better service to the public.
7. Due to the effect of the world-wide recession, Hong Kong is suffering from a trade deficit, and an increase in unemployment. Immediate salvation will depend very much on Government establishing an Industrial and Commerce Development Bank, to help set up more new industries like the oil refinery, etc., to develop more overseas markets and provide relief for the unemployed. It is necessary to preserve the entity and vitality of skilled workers for it was they who helped to make Hong Kong what it is today. When the recession has passed in the not too distant future, we hope, the workers will be put to good use again to put Hong Kong back on its feet. Recently we have said about the question of the mass transit railway, can the Government use the amount previously set aside for the mass transit system to subvent the various commercial and industrial concerns in the economy so that our slump situation can be improved.
8. As an Urban Councillor, I like to raise the question of giving a flat allowance to the Urban Council employees again, for without proper housing for our own employees, we cannot expect them to give their very best service to members of the public.
Last, but not least, I shall observe the Reform Club's resolution and accept nomination for the coming Urban Council election. With the experience I gained in the past years, if elected, I shall do my utmost to serve our Club and the people of Hong Kong and work for Hong Kong's prosperity and progress. I would like to support the motion, Sir.
(Mr. R. H. LOBO arrived at this point.)
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the Urban Council is holding today its conventional Annual Debate for the second time since its reorganization in 1973. The Council is the only policy-making body in Hong Kong with representatives elected by the people. As I said at the last Annual Debate, the subject-matters under
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