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Market (Yau Ma Tei) and Shui Wo Street (Kwun Tong). Each of these district facilities will occupy approximately 30,000 sq. ft. on one or more floors comprising:
1) a 460-seat auditorium with a 32 ft. x 32 ft. main stage, wing space, a 45 ft. fly-tower, a sound and lighting control and film projection booth, dressing rooms, storage areas and toilets;
2) two large music/dance practice rooms or conference rooms of 300 sq. ft. each and several smaller rooms of 150 sq. ft. each;
3) a rehearsal room (3,000 sq. ft.) for practising musicians, actors and dancers;
4) a 140-seat lecture/recital hall with a film projection, sound and lighting control booth for small-scale performances, lectures, conferences and film shows;
5) an exhibition area of 3,000-6,000 sq. ft. (exact size dependent upon available space) with 250 removable seats and a small removable stage for scientific, commercial, historical and art exhibitions, meetings and experimental theatre; and
6) a foyer and ancillary facilities.
It is intended that the District Cultural Facilities will form part of a hierarchy of cultural complexes under the control of the Council with the Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Complex at the apex. The District Cultural Facilities will provide a stimulus to the growth of cultural expression at the district level as well as a performing circuit for visiting professional groups and soloists.
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surplus, there is no reason why we are not going to increase the tax allowance. In California, there was also a surplus some years ago and somebody proposed that the tax allowances should be raised and as a result, a number of regulations had been passed and the tax allowance was raised. We have to understand that this money is Hong Kong people's money and we should have a say as to how we are going to use the surplus. Unfortunately, the Financial Secretary is not too familiar with the local circumstances, for instance, like the traffic congestion in Hong Kong. From my personal experience, it took me more than one hour to travel from my home to Urban Council. Of course, for the high-ranking officials, they have Police to make way for them, so there is no traffic jam for them. In Hong Kong, we should aim at an equal society, so I think it is right for us to fight for raising of tax allowance and to reject it as simple as a kind of insult. So I hope that could be avoided in the future. It has been pointed out by 'Han Yu, a famous Chinese scholar, that 'bad government policies are as wild as tigers, so because of the heavy tax, it makes the living of people much worse and that is why I hope the Financial Secretary could put weights to places like resettlement estates, or to hawker areas, to make a study to try to understand more on how people are making a living in Hong Kong. Otherwise, Hong Kong would be a very bad place to live in the future. Of course, this is a kind of supplement made by me today, I hope that would get the support of other members of the Urban Council. Thank you.
(Mr. CHAN Chi-kwan arrived during Mr. Ambrose CHOI's address.)
THE HON. F. K. Hu (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the City Hall continued to be fully utilized through 1980, as nearly 1,130 functions were held and organized, attended by 640,000 persons. Close to 60% of applications for hire of Concert Hall and Theatre had to be turned down and this is a good indication that additional facilities are desperately required to cope with the demand. I am pleased to note that the Government has finally agreed to proceed with the Cultural Complex Project at Tsim Sha Tsui which, upon its estimated completion in 1985/86, should basically meet the demand for booking of facilities anticipated at current level. However, the Government has been intensifying the music educational programmes in schools, as well as at grass-root and advanced levels. The District Boards to be established in urban areas and New Territories will also have funds to promote cultural activities in each district. To meet public expectation, this Council will form a Chinese Dance Company this year and other professional groups in due course. All these factors will naturally increase the demand for facilities in future and it is imperative to start planning additional facilities, especially at district level, without further delay.
In accordance with its established policy of incorporating as many facilities as possible in multi-storey buildings above centrally located markets, this Council has, during the past 12 months, developed plans for cultural facilities in four projects scheduled for completion by 1984/85, viz. New Western Market (Western), Ngau Chi Wan Market (Wong Tai Sin), Kwun Chung
The Council would periodically review the operating cost of running the facilities under its management in order to make necessary adjustments in the charges to cover the operating cost without hidden subsidy. On the basis of operational cost for 1978/1979, the hiring charges for the City Hall facilities were revised effective from 1 June 1980. At the same time, a new system of subsidy to give greater financial assistance to non-commercial hirers was introduced to help them to overcome the additional financial burden incurred due to the revised hiring charges.
Due to the extremely heavy usage of the City Hall facilities by the Council and the hirers, this Council could not possibly carry out major repair works in the City Hall at this time as it would cause an unacceptably long period of closure. Such work can only be implemented after the opening of the new Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Complex in 1985/86. However, a lot of improvement works were completed in 1980, as follows:
1) The City Hall Restaurant and kitchen have been completely renovated to mark the beginning of a new catering arrangement.
2) Ramps for wheel-chaired persons were erected to enable access to the City Hall High Block, Low Block and the Memorial Garden.
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