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of setting up a lap lane in swimming pools has been conducted. Could I be informed about the result of the review on the scheme?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN of the Recreation SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question is in two parts. The first part concerns the temporary closure of certain pools within UC swimming complexes.
As I explained in some detail in my response to Question Number 1, it is the general policy of the Council to open individual pools within complexes and based on public demand, as reflected by the highest attendance levels reached over the last five years and having regard to the overall costs involved. This policy is subject to annual review.
The majority of free paddling pools for children, which are provided at eight complexes, have been opened on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays during the main swimming season but I agree that in future arrangements should be made to ensure that all free paddling pools are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily between mid May and Mid September.
The second part of this question asks about the result of the lap lane scheme which was trialled at Kwun Tong, Lai Chi Kok Park and Victoria Park Swimming Pools from 20 June to 31 August 1986.
A maximum of 40 swimmers used the two reserved lanes for lap swimming at any one session. This represents approximately 6 per cent of an average sessional attendance and the trial, which was suggested by a member of the public, appears to have proved unpopular with the majority of pool users.
In these circumstances and because the vast majority of people using pools at popular times do so to relax and do not engage in serious swimming, it is not intended to repeat the experiment next year. However, serious swimmers should still be able to do laps without too much difficulty especially during the early morning and late evening sessions when there are usually fewer swimmers in the pools.
4. MR. LAM CHAK-PIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):—Every year, the Urban Council organizes large-scale learn-to-swim courses as part of the Water Safety Campaign. Although 900 courses have been organized this year, there are still many applicants being turned down. Would the Urban Council review the demand situation and consider providing more courses in coordination with the opening of new swimming complexes? And could I be informed about the instructor to student ratio in these courses?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question is in two parts. The first part asks whether, as many applications for Learn-to-Swim courses are being turned down, the Council will review the demand situation and consider providing more courses as and when new swimming complexes open.
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New complexes are scheduled to be completed at Kowloon Park in 1989, Shek Kip Mei in 1990, and at Hammer Hill in 1991. I am sure that Council would wish to arrange to increase the number of its Learn-to-Swim classes to coincide with the availability of these new pools. But that is some years ahead.
Meanwhile, Council has already increased the number of places available on Learn-to-Swim courses from 19 000 last year to 27 000 this year. During the summer, the courses are fully booked at popular times of the day. But we plan to do even better next year. The possibility of holding Learn-to-Swim classes in the shallow end of the secondary pool during the popular periods will be investigated. Also, attendance at these classes at non-peak times and in the less popular months will be further encouraged.
The second part of the question asks about the instructor to student ratio at Council Learn-to-Swim courses. These ratios, which have been agreed by the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association and by the Recreation and Sports Service Advisors to Government and the Urban Council, are one instructor to 30 participants with one additional instructor being provided at classes for children below the age of 5 and for people aged 55 and over. A lifeguard is also on duty during all Council Learn-to-Swim classes and the instructor will also have the help of an assistant to perform marshalling and general control duties at the pool-side.
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, regarding demand and supply I don't know whether the department has done any understudy of the demand situation. According to what I know persons attending these learn-to-swim courses are always fully booked; but then are other learn-to-swim courses also fully booked? Are there any simple ways to solve the problem?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese):—As I have already mentioned, we have conducted 835 learn-to-swim courses for roughly 27 000 people. We have indeed disappointed 24 000 applicants because 21 000 of them are beginners of very young age and most of them would enroll only for week-end lessons or lessons to be conducted between 7 to 9 in the evening. Other hours of the day are not very popular. We are aiming at increasing our learn-to-swim courses to cater for an extra ten thousand beginners next year.
5. MR. LAM CHAK-PIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):---It is the aim of the Urban Council to provide a swimming complex for every 250 000 people in an urban district. With a population of over 690 000, is Kwun Tong entitled to have another swimming complex? When will the new facility be completed?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN of the RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): ---The question asks whether Kwun Tong, with a population of over 690 000, is entitled to have another swimming pool complex and when will the new facility be completed.
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