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have attempts been made to establish, on the one hand, the potential demand for such venues and on the other hand the potential supply of attractions to fill the sessions made available by such regional cultural centres?
THE HON. F. K. HU, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the provision of regional cultural centres in the urban area, and is in two parts: (a) what the Council has done to-date with regard to the provision of such centres; and (b) the potential demand for such facilities, including the range and level of activities that are likely to be held at such venues.
As regards the first part, the department has recently undertaken a study on regional cultural centres, with a view to: (a) determining the need for such facilities; (b) identifying suitable locations and sites for such centres; and (c) establishing the estimated capital and recurrent costs of such venues.
The feasibility study, which was recently considered by the Culture and Entertainment Select Committee noted that, whilst there is expressed demand for such centres by some District Boards, there is not as yet a full awareness of the cost of providing such facilities, and some confusion over the subsequent use to which such centres will be put. There is also the question as to whether the Government or the Council would finance the capital costs of these centres. At the request of the Culture and Entertainment Select Committee, these matters are now being further pursued by the department. Meanwhile, as a first step, the department has been asked to identify and reserve suitable sites for regional cultural centres in the urban area.
As regards the second part of the question, experience with the City Hall indicates that the provision of a suitable venue tends to generate its own demand. However, in order to assess more adequately the type of facilities required, the department is currently examining potential use of the proposed regional cultural centres by district bodies, cultural organizations, hirers, and the Council's own performing companies, festival's office and presentations section. Meanwhile, the Culture and Entertainment Select Committee and the Capital Works Select Committee have agreed that a more flexible planning brief should be adopted for the Council's future district cultural centres so that these centres can meet, as far as practicable, the needs of the various districts.
MR. YOUNG (in English):--Mr. Chairman, when the department examines the potential supply of organizations and performing companies for these regional cultural centres, will it take into account the quality of the performances of these companies and their ability to provide entertainment of the nature that the districts want?
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MR. HU (in English):---Mr. Chairman, the centre will meet two functions. Firstly, to meet the requirements of the hirer and it is up to the hirer to ensure the quality of the performances. On the other hand, very often the Council would sponsor or co-sponsor cultural or entertainment activities. In such case, we have to assess the quality of the performances and their ability to attract attendance. We will review the performances periodically in order to assess the success or failure of such performances so as to decide whether we should support such performances in future. All the points mentioned by Mr. YOUNG will be taken into consideration when deciding on the choice of the programme to be presented.
MRS. CHOW (in English):-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Chairman of the Culture and Entertainment Select Committee, through you, whether in the feasibility study for the need of such regional centres, the present network of the territory-wide cultural facilities and the district cultural facilities which are either being built or in a planning stage will be taken into consideration, and therefore the need for the regional centres be put in context.
MR. HU (in English):----Mr. Chairman, Mrs. CHOW mentioned a point which is very much on the mind of the Council and the department. We have a network of territory-wide facilities and district facilities under construction and it takes time to assess the usage of such facilities before we make a firm decision on what kind of regional cultural centres we should really provide and what should be the scale of the facility to be provided.
MR. YOUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Chairman of the Culture and Entertainment Select Committee just now mentioned performances subsidized by the Council. In other words, joint performances. When the Council examines these functions, will it also try to assess the revenue drawing potential of these companies so that these cultural centres will not become white elephants and be a drain on public funds?
MR. HU (in English):—Mr. Chairman, the functions sponsored by the Council are not necessarily heavily subsidized. Many of them are subsidized, but some are even profit-making. For those which are subsidized or heavily subsidized, we have to consider the need of the local public. If it meets the requirement of the local public, then even if it is heavily subsidized, we have to do it. On the other hand, the question of the revenue generated is another factor we have to consider seriously and in this respect, I'd like to mention that the Council certainly welcomes commercial sponsorship on any of the culture and entertainment events organized by the Council.
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