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determine whether they cover present-day administration costs or, at least, are not falling too far behind if it is our policy to subsidize any service or activity. We must also exploit new revenue possibilities within reason, as we hope to do with commercial advertising signs on which much hard work is now being done again as has been the case on and off for very many years. Of course, there are also other considerations; in particular, the Council must not aggravate the difficulties currently faced by the people. Still, the Council must be ready to act at the right time.
Building Projects
When it seemed likely that the Council's many outstanding building projects would be sacrificed by the Government in their re-phasing programme because of financial difficulties, the proposal was made at once for the Council to pay to the Government the costs of some minor projects vitally needed for the discharge of our public functions, rather than have their construction put back many years. This switch-finance arrangement has started and now involves some 26 projects. The Government's counterpart commitment has been firmed up; exchange projects have been picked with completion dates fixed in order that when the time comes the availability of some essential public facilities would have doubled because of the Council's initiative in this direction, but the last counterpart project will not be finished until 1979-80. However, this switch-finance programme, incisive and public-spirited as it is, can only cope with minor projects. For major undertakings, the Council must find other means to pay for them, and so a proposal has been put to the Government. It attempts to rationalize our relations. It removes our dependence on the Government's building programme together with their continuing commitment to us. We are conscious of their present difficulties and have no wish to compound them, but we are merely seeking to re-negotiate the terms of our agreement to put the matter on a practical basis and also, by so doing, to maintain our excellent relations and avoid potential areas of conflict.
Play facilities are being built as a matter of course under the very useful amenities block vote, responsible for the good number of our parks and sports grounds. Indeed, the Council now seems to take for granted that steady progress would be made in developing open spaces for public recreation, yet there are difficulties. With the withdrawal of financial assistance from the Jockey Club, the Council will have to pay, for the present at least, for the cost of the public swimming pools we plan for every district. There is one under construction
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on the Island, mostly paid for by a generous donation but partly by us, and another will be built in Hung Hom as part of the Tai Wan Bay project. Swimming is the most popular form of physical recreation in Hong Kong and great numbers of people use our pools and beaches each year, so the construction of pools must continue.
Environment
The Council has a definite statutory responsibility to take all reasonable measures to safeguard public health. We should strive to keep the environment clean and pleasant. The very high density in which we live brings with it problems not commonly met elsewhere and so they call for far greater exertions on the part of the Urban Services Department than would have been the case had our circumstances been different.
Not only must positive measures be taken on the ground but there is the need to educate the public, a process going on for a good number of years. However, having tried to achieve the desired result by civic education and by encouraging social discipline, but not having succeeded to the extent necessary, the need for much stronger enforcement must be accepted, not in a half-hearted way but with increasing intensity until due impact has been made. If the authorities fight shy of strong enforcement measures, to rely only on exhortation, which by itself has failed Hong Kong, then the very heavy cost of our frequent cleaning campaigns by means of a vast and expensive publicity drive must continue as an alternative with the danger of diminishing impact and marginal success each time. It seems to me that this heavy charge on public funds, because of the selfishness and lack of discipline on the part of the relatively few, should not be tolerated much longer by the vast majority who want a clean Hong Kong. For sure, both human and monetary resources could be applied to other more vital programmes to better the lot of the people or even to improve the environment, were the few who persist in littering the streets brought to their senses by heavier penalties and public exposure as done elsewhere. The time has come when the Council will have to shift the emphasis of our cleaning campaigns each time, with the strikingly successful beach cleaning operation last year as an example in mind. Mopping-up operations may be undertaken in specific forms of action, perhaps to tackle in each exercise a clearly identified problem in a short, sharp and deep manner in order to hit the pockets of those who continue to disregard all exhortations.
Let us thank our departmental staff and all the many government departments and private groups who have worked with us to make