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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
According to the Government's Forecasts Population Distribution, the population in the Wan Chai District in 1984 was 226 178. the district is at present served by a district library of about 1 100 m2 at the Kwong Sang Hong Building and a small library of about 100 m2 at Yick Yam Street, Happy Valley. Both libraries are in rented premises.
In accordance with the Council's policy, it is planned to replace these two interim libraries by a full scale district library of 1 500 m2 in the Lockhart Road UC Complex in 1986.
According to the Forecasts of Population Distribution, the population of the Eastern District was 488 839 in 1984. The district is at present served by a district library in Council premises at Yue Wan Estate, Chai Wan and two small libraries, one on Council premises at the North Point Market Building and the other in rented premises at Tai Koo Shing.
In view of the population density and geographical spread of the district, it is planned to provide two district libraries and one small library for the Eastern District. The Chai Wan Library at Yue Wan Estate will be retained and refurbished as a permanent district library, and the interim library at Tai Koo Shing will be replaced by a full scale district library at the Quarry Bay UC Complex in 1987. The North Point Library in Council premises will also be retained to supplement the services of the district libraries in Chai Wan and Quarry Bay.
Shau Kei Wan is at present served by a Mobile Library which visits Shau Kei Wan Main Street East every Monday. I understand that the department is exploring the feasibility of providing a mobile library stop in Causeway Bay area also.
Council libraries are planned as far as possible on a district basis. Pending a revision of the standard of provision upon full implementation of the current library expansion programme, it is felt that the planned provision for the Wan Chai and Eastern Districts is comparable to that for the eight other urban districts, and there are no plans at present to provide additional static libraries in Shau Kei Wan and Causeway Bay.
(Miss Cecilia L. Y. YEUNG arrived at this point-3.02 p.m.)
MR. SHUM CHOI-SANG (in Cantonese):---Mr. Chairman, I have three other questions. The first one, in Wan Chai in future the two libraries will be replaced by one in Lockhart Road, does it mean that the service will not be as good with only one library instead of two? In Shau Kei Wan, we have a mobile library then do we want to retain it, and now the mobile libraries only serving the public once each week, can we have better service? I would also like to know when we will have a mobile library stop in Causeway Bay.
# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, on the first point, Mr. Shum asked if we were going to replace the two libraries by one, I would like to point out that the present library in Wan Chai is 1 100 m2, we are going to provide a full scale library of 1 500 m2 which is sure to attract more people. On the other hand, if we find that we still require a static library, I am quite sure when the time arrives for closing it, there will be consideration. If there is great opposition to closing it, I am quite sure we will consider keeping it open. Concerning the other point, the point about the mobile library's stopping at Causeway Bay, I am sorry I cannot give the information but I will find out and let Mr. SHUM know. About the mobile library stopping at Shau Kei Wan every Monday, I agree that once a week is not sufficient; however, our purposes for the next 3 or 4 years are to complete our library service to provide all districts with an equivalent service of one district library for every 200 000 of the population. If we find after that we cannot provide a better service in an area like Eastern and Wan Chai, where there is a very wide spread in distance, I am quite sure that the Urban Council's Libraries Select Committee will consider opening another static library if it is required, or improving the service of the mobile library. We are keeping these points in mind, I can only say that we have to be fair to every district first and having provided a fair service to various districts, then we will consider improvements.
4.
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, asked the following question (in English):—This Council manages both the 3 500-seat Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Wan Chai and 12 500-seat Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom. Are these two sizeable venues properly and professionally managed so that they would not be financially a burden to this Council?
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENTERTAINMENT SELECT COMMITTEE (in Cantonese):-This question concerns the management of the Hong Kong Coliseum and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium and their financial viability.
It is the Council's aim to maintain the Coliseum and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium as the major sports and entertainment facilities in Hong Kong. In view of the high operating costs of the two stadia, their management and cost-effectiveness have always been a subject of concern to the Urban Council. In 1982, experts from the Capital Centre of U.S.A. were engaged as marketing consultants for the Hong Kong Coliseum; and they produced a comprehensive report with recommendations as to how it could be efficiently and effectively managed. The existing policies and guidelines on the management of the two stadia are largely based on their recommendations and are under regular review to cater for the developing circumstances.
Various measures have already been implemented to minimize expenditure and maximise revenue. On the expenditure side, savings have resulted from a reduction of permanent staff, the engagement of contract or temporary staff for operational and technical services, and bulk tariff agreements with power
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