HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE, VICE-CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, seconded (in English). Mr. Chairman, in seconding the motion following your speech recommending adoption of next year's budget, which I might add, has not left very much for me to say, I would also emphasize the need for critical examination by Select Committees of the scope of future capital projects. Those on our programme, but still at a drawing board stage, could perhaps be amended without the loss of too much effort. Perhaps some of the complexes should be scaled down to meet the more essential requirements of the district concerned which would, in due course, be reflected in a reduced demand for staffing.
I am hopeful of good results from the Management Services Unit which Finance Committee agreed to fund last week. I understand that it achieved significant economies in the New Territories Division of the Urban Services Department, and look forward to it achieving equally good results in our much larger operation. I am sure the Director of Urban Services and his staff will welcome ideas and methods to achieve this end.
I second your motion.
MRS. FONG (in English):—I would like to support the motion with the following comments: From the estimate of revenue and expenditure presented for the 1984-85, it could be noted that the Council has presented a negative budget for the 1984-85 year and has committed itself to continue its service projects. However, if actual expenditures for the year came out to be as budgeted, it would mean that the Council would have run down its reserves to having less than one third of the month's expenditures in hand. Under normal circumstances, this is not a satisfactory situation and a responsible member of the Council should not have supported the motion. However, this is by no means a normal time for Hong Kong and we also have our commitments. It would not be desirable to cut back on our services to the public. It would not be desirable to cut or shelve capital projects that we have undertaken. It would also not be desirable to pass on our negative finances to members of the public by raising fees. So what could we do? It would seem that we would need to be more conscious in our projects, to be more efficient in administration procedures and to exercise tighter control over our overall expenditures. It is by tightening our own belts that we would hope to come through this difficult period and confirming our commitment to the Hong Kong people.
MR. YOUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, a colleague has just pointed out that if the figures are as set out in the paper, we will be left with about one third of a month's reserve, although you are more optimistic in saying it will probably end up near to one month's. Apart from administering tighter control of expenditure as has been suggested, I also hope that you will vigorously pursue what you call 'pinpoint where Government's additional financial support will be helpful in order to enable us to fully discharge our commitments'.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. LAWRENCE FUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, the Capital Works Select Committee exists to serve the various functional select committees and is in charge of executing the capital works of the various functional select committees. Although the budget shown in your speech as one of the biggest items in the Urban Council budget, it has by no means the largest amount of spending under one heading, and in the visual presentation in the back of the paper, it shows the Urban Council complexes as commanding something like $131 million, but in fact, recently, the Capital Works Select Committee has undertaken an analysis by breaking down this amount and assigning it to various functional select committees so as to show the true position of the expenditure each functional select committee rather than just to call it a complex, because within a complex, we do have market facilities, library facilities, cultural as well as recreational facilities. So the pictures presented in this visual chart are not really quite accurate as far as the public is concerned.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
2. DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:
'RESOLVED that the Designation of Public Funeral Hall Order 1983 be made under section 123A of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
He said (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, I rise on the motion standing in my name:
'THAT the Designation of Public Funeral Hall Order 1983 be made under Section 123A of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.’ The purpose of the proposed order is to designate the Hung Hom Public Funeral Parlour as a public funeral hall following the Council's approval to reopen two service halls on the lower ground floor of the premises for free use by the public as 'Farewell Pavilions'. In so doing, it will enable the application of the Public Funeral Hall By-laws to the premises in question.
This order will come into operation on the date of notification in the Gazette. Mr. Chairman, I beg to move.
MR. H. M. G. FORSGATE Seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.