1981

# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

# ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in English):-Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. The meeting is called to order.

## MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 September 1981 were confirmed.

## STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in Cantonese):—

The pursuit of excellence

Last month, one of the world's finest orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, came to Hong Kong for the first time ever to perform at the City Hall on five nights. Their performances were enthusiastically received which attested the fact that Hong Kong people are becoming accustomed to cultural performances of high artistic standards. They want and are entitled to the best the world has to offer.

Recently, the Urban Council's Public Information Unit put on sale a publication containing a record of the proceedings of the Council's 1980 Chinese Literary Week. This is part of the Council's unremitting efforts to raise up the standard of literature appreciation, creativity and excellence. I commend this volume to all those who are interested in the dynamics of modern Chinese literature.

Last month too, an Urban Council Group visited London, Birmingham and Edinburgh. The Group called on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and met several MPs to express individual Councillors' concern about the British Nationality Bill discriminating against Hong Kong and the high level of school fees Hong Kong students have to pay in Britain. The Group visited various sports and cultural centres so as to study where improved methods and equipment can be introduced into Hong Kong. A detailed report on the Group's visit will be circulated to the relevant Select Committees shortly.

At the Sixth Festival of Asian Arts now taking place, artists from fifteen Asian countries will perform. More than 300,000 persons are expected to attend the 75 indoor performances, and the 80 free outdoor shows. This Festival is open to all Hong Kong residents, whether from the urban areas or the New Territories. I hope Hong Kong residents will avail themselves of the opportunity to know something about the best of Asian culture, both traditional and contemporary.

The Council is also pursuing excellence in various mundane subjects, such as refuse collection. About 2700 tonnes of refuse are collected daily from the urban areas by a workforce of over 3,000. 46 of the 120 major refuse collection points are temporary on-street collection points. While there is a continuing programme to build permanent off-street collection points, the temporary ones do constitute a nuisance to residents in the vicinity. It was noticed by some members of the recent Urban Council delegation to the United Kingdom that large black-coloured plastic bags were universally used in London and other British cities to put in domestic refuse to await collection. It would be too expensive now for the Urban Council to adopt this practice universally in Hong Kong, as it is estimated that the cost to the Council of providing plastic bags without charge at all refuse collection points could be in the region of $60 to $70 million per annum. However, in order to reduce as much as possible any nuisance at these on-street collection points, the Urban Services Department staff will encourage householders and restaurant operators to put their refuse in sealed plastic bags or other covered containers before delivering them to the Council collection points.

In a few days, the Governor will start off the biggest ever Clean Hong Kong Campaign. The Urban Council is committed to go all out to support this Campaign. I urge all Councillors to be actively involved in the Campaign activities in their respective Districts. Each Councillor must be seen to be doing his or her share to make this Campaign a resounding success, as it has to do with citizen responsibility and improvement in living environment.

In sports, the Council has increasingly been giving subventions to National Associations which are sponsoring inter-city sporting competitions. Such functions bring together competitors from different cities in Asia for the purpose of attaining excellence in skill and performance, apart from promoting goodwill and mutual understanding.

Whether it is in the field of environmental hygiene, recreation, sports or culture, the Urban Council cares for and is deeply concerned about the individual wellbeing of our community. The Council has both short and long term plans to improve within its competence the living conditions of the four million people in the urban areas. The Council is fully committed to excellence in the standards and services it provides to the general public. By so doing, we will be helping to create a more humane society in which Hong Kong people will have wider opportunity to seek their own happiness and personal fulfilment in life.

## PAPER

(Mr. Edmund W. H. CHOW arrived during the Chairman's address.)

The following paper was laid on the table:-

(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council for the month of September 1981.

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