Page 70 of 120
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
107
106
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
STATEMENT BY MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE FINANCE SELECT COMMITTEE, ON THE FINANCE OF THE URBAN COUNCIL
MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-There has recently been comment in the press to the effect that Council should reduce its expenditure to meet its projected deficit for the next financial year.
I wish to point out that most of the projected expenditure for next year will be absorbed in meeting the Council's statutory responsibilities, particularly in environmental hygiene and on hawkers and markets.
Environmental hygiene directly absorbs $225 M. in staff costs and related costs, while for hawkers and markets another $130 M. is required. Furthermore, much of the overall administrative machinery is directed towards these two areas and costs an additional $181 M. This makes a total of $536 M. without taking into account capital works.
The Council cannot afford to cut down its street sweeping programme, the regulation of hawkers, the building programme on parks and playgrounds, on markets, the control of cooked food bazaars, restaurants, etc. In fact, pressure is building up in all the eleven urban districts from district community leaders to expedite, improve and even to spend more on such services. The Urban Council will not let down the people living in these districts in its aim to improve their living environment.
Recreational and cultural activities represent a much smaller proportion of the Council's budget for next year, being $91 M. and $106 M. respectively. On cultural activities, the figure is in fact smaller as about $14 M. income will be generated from cultural activities.
With the tendency for juvenile crime to rise since the past two years, it is more than advisable that Council keeps on expanding its recreation, sports and cultural programmes, which are in the main enjoyed by young people. It is Council's long established policy to subsidize all cultural, sports, recreation and public entertainment activities at levels which can be afforded by school children and young people as well as by lower and middle-income families. The Urban Council has no intention to change this policy.
The public regards the Urban Council as an integral part of the overall administrative structure of the Government. Therefore, the best solution to avoid any 'stop-go' approach in providing the Council's basic services, as well as its recreation, sports and cultural activities-which as I have mentioned are mostly for the benefit of young people and for lower and middle-income families-is for Government to allocate part of its share of its rates to the Council until the next revision of rateable premises takes place. By so doing, the Urban Council will not have to increase its share of the rates next year.
MOTIONS
1. MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:-
"RESOLVED that the Pleasure Grounds (Amendment) (No. 2) By-laws 1980 be made under section 109 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132."
He said (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, I rise on the motion standing in my name:
'RESOLVED that the Pleasure Grounds (Amendment) (No. 2) By-laws 1980, be made under section 109 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
The purpose of the amendment By-laws is to provide separate rates for hiring the Victoria Park Tennis Exhibition Court (No. 14).
Sir, I beg to move.
THE HON. F. K. HU, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, seconded (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I have the pleasure to second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
2. MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS AND STREET TRADERS SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:
'RESOLVED that the Hawker (Permitted Area) (Amendment) (No. 3) Declaration 1980 be made under By-law 4(1) of the Hawker By-laws.'
He said (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I rise to move the motion on my name: --
'THAT the Hawker (Permitted Area) (Amendment) (No. 3) Declaration 1980 be made under By-law 4(1) of the Hawker By-laws.'
This amendment to the Schedule to the Hawker (Permitted Area) Declaration 1975 revokes the setting aside as Hawker Permitted Areas certain sections of three streets in Kowloon, namely Pak Hoi Street, Ning Po Street and Temple Street to allow the implementation of the re-ordering of hawkers.
I beg to move.
Page 70 of 120
Page 70
Page 71
Page 71 of 120