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QUESTIONS
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
1. MR. TSIN SAI-NIN asked the following question (in Cantonese):---Co the Urban Council make available several more mobile stages for hire b
various societies for cultural and social activities?
THE HON. F. K. Hu, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COM MITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the provision of more mobile stages for hire by societies for cultural and social activities.
At present, the Council has one mobile stage which is used primarily for the Council's own outdoor entertainment programme and occasionall hired by other organizations for cultural activities. The present demand from hirers is not particularly heavy and the mobile stage was only booked by societies on six occasions during the financial year 1978-79. In most cases it is therefore available for hire though the Council itself organizes some entertainment functions per month and there may be difficulty in providing departmental staff to serve societies which book the stage.
The Council is planning to purchase another mobile stage in the near future and, subject to the availability of manpower, this stage may also be available for hire by the public.
The cost of a mobile stage, 32 ft. wide with variable depth, is about $350,000. The purchase of additional stage for hire to the public would therefore require careful consideration by the Cultural Affairs Select Com- mittee. In view of the small number of occasions on which the existing stage is hired out at present and the Council's plans to purchase a second one, it is doubtful whether any more are required for the time being.
MR. TSIN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hu's reply is appreciated. but I am doubtful why was it that the mobile stage was hired only 6 times. As far as I know, there was a great demand for hire. Perhaps it was because of lack of publicity. I am sure if we carry out more publicity, more organiza tions and the public will participate in our cultural activities.
MR. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, we do advise various organizations of the availability of this mobile stage and the fact is they know that the mobile stage is available for hire, but they just don't come. Anytime they want to use it, we will certainly do what we can to make it available to them.
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I would like 10 ask Mr. HU was the mobile stage actually hired for 6 times or were there 6 applications for hire?
MR. HU (in English):-Six times we received enquiries for the hire and we accepted their applications.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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CHAIRMAN (in English):--The point is that there were only six applications and the stage was hired out six times so no organization was turned away.
2. MR.
What numbers have utilized Urban Council swimming pools during this summer season; and have any problems of overcrowding arisen? Is progress
being made in the Council's construction programme for further swimming
pools?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—The first part of the question concerns the utilization of Council swimming pools during the recent summer season and whether there were problems of overcrowding.
From June to September 1979, there was a total attendance of 2.6 million at the nine Urban Council swimming pools. This represents an increase of 6.3% compared to 1977 and a decrease of 6.5% compared to 1978. The decrease from 1978 was probably due mainly to the cooler weather and to the partial closure of the Morse Park Swimming Pool. Of the nine swimming pools, the most popular were Morrison Hill and Victoria Park on Hong Kong island and Kwun Tong and Lei Cheng Uk in Kowloon. The highest attendance was at Kwun Tong Swimming Pool where the total figure for the month of July was 185,000.
During the recent summer season, there was no problem of overcrowding in the standard complexes which can accommodate a maximum attendance of 2,100 persons at any one time, in one of the several sessions a day. Not more persons than the maximum are admitted, since more would overload the changing rooms, filtration plant, and the capacity of the life guards to ensure no accidents. However, in the non-standard complexes such as Kowloon Tsai, Morrison Hill and Victoria Park which can accommodate only 700 persons, 900 persons, and 1,300 persons respectively, there were occasions when the general public had to be refused admission in the months of July and August. In the case of the Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool, the increase in attendance was due mainly to the closure for repair of the main and secondary pools at the Morse Park Swimming Pool. Fortunately, with the re-introduction of summer time, it was possible to operate an additional swimming session at the Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool to cope with this as well as normal demand in the Kowloon City and Wong Tai Sin areas.
Turning now to the second part of the question which concerns progress in the Council's construction programme for further swimming pools, a wimming pool complex is under construction at Chai Wan and is expected to be completed at the beginning of the 1980 swimming season. Apart from this project, nine others are under active planning: seven in Kowloon and two on Hong Kong island.