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interest and that those which were in good condition should be refurbished and continued to be let out. But the committee also decided that, instead of letting them out as in the past to individuals mainly, that in future they would be only let out to clubs, associations and organized bodies, for instance, companies and so on. So in future, they will only be let to those.
MR. YOUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, since it has been stated that organizations do get priority in the allocation of bathing sheds, and the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has correctly pointed out that Middle Bay and South Bay are difficult in terms of access, I have noted that, in the answer, there is one shed at Stanley Main Beach where I believe access should be less difficult. Could the Council consider if it could be demonstrated that the Handicapped Youth had a special case for that particular shed and perhaps they could be given a slight degree of priority?
MR. Lo (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I certainly agree with Mr. YOUNG that the Stanley Main Beach is more easily accessible. However, I believe most of those sheds are let to associations on a long-term basis, I do not know exactly how long, but I am sure for a few years.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Five years.
MR. Lo (in English):-Yes, 5 years. I think last year there was one available. If they are available and they are more easily accessible, then we would certainly consider giving it to the Federation of Handicapped Youth or similar associations.
2. MR. HOWARD H. W. YOUNG asked the following question (in English):- I have received comments from members of the public that the general quality and content of Chinese Language Children's books in Urban Council libraries is way below that of English Language Children's books. Is the Urban Council satisfied that all possible sources of Chinese Language Children books have been examined with a view to acquiring the best available?
MRS. E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question deals with children's books in Chinese for the Urban Council Libraries.
The Urban Council Libraries have at present a total of 208,856 junior books of which 141,759 volumes are in Chinese.
Every effort is made to acquire as comprehensive a collection of children's books as current publishing allows, and all good junior publications from available sources are bought for the Council's libraries. The libraries do not stock children's books in simplified characters which are not taught in Hong Kong schools.
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The output and range of children's books in Chinese cannot match those of English books. Altogether only about 5,000 children's books in Chinese are available whilst annual additions including reprints are in the region of 500. About 20,000 children's books in English are in print and new titles range from 3,500 to 5,000 per annum. Children's publications in English are strongly supported by national and private institutions and they enjoy a good and steady market, making writing and publishing children's books in English rewarding. There are no such incentives for writing or publishing children's books in Chinese.
Members of the Council may be interested to know that a Children's Library Festival is being organized by the Council's Libraries. This Festival will include a children's book exhibition at the City Hall Junior Library and a seminar on children's books at the City Hall Recital Hall. A children's book list will be issued to provide guidance to parents, teachers and children in choosing suitable reading material.
MR. YOUNG (in English):-I think it has been adequately explained by the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee that the avenues for procuring high-quality Chinese books are more limited than English books. However, I believe the library possibly does stock books in other languages not taught in all Hong Kong schools, also books in classical Chinese which is again not taught widely in Hong Kong schools. Perhaps the Libraries Select Committee might review the policy of not stocking books in simplified characters if it can be shown that this would indeed contribute to the quality of the books in general.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I will accept that as a supplementary question and ask Mrs. ELLIOTT to answer it.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I am very glad that Mr. Young raised that question. I will certainly put it again before the Libraries Select Committee. We have discussed this in the past and the simplified character books are of course coming from China and we have no objection in principle to those books in our libraries. The problem is that we are talking about children's books and we feel the children would not understand the simplified characters. As for other books, of course, there is no question that people can understand them.
3. DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG asked the following question (in Cantonese): (a) How many of the hawkers in the old Canal Road Market have bid for stalls in the new Bowrington Road Market and how many were successful?
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