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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
different mainly in the control of hawkers, rentals for hawker stalls, procedures in the clearing of hawkers and long-term management plans, the hawker problem has become more complicated.
The Urban and Regional Councils being no managing authorities of public housing estates, it will not be feasible to enlarge their powers to cover management of hawkers there in. The transfer of the powers in management of hawkers within housing estates will incur designation of terms of reference. Most members consider that there should be an effective and official means of coordination to resolve the differences in policy between the Urban and Regional Councils on one side and the Housing Authority on the other.
Issue of licences
One important duty of the Urban Council is to issue licences to businesses which may have hygiene problems and therefore have to be inspected regularly. The Food Hygiene Select Committee is responsible for all food-related matters and premises such as restaurants and food factories. The Environmental Hygiene Select Committee handles the licensing of such other venues as cinemas and bowling alleys, whereas the Liquor Licensing Board licenses the sale or serving of liquor in urban area premises.
As licensing for different types of business requires expertise and experience, it will be more efficiently carried out if the departments concerned are allowed to continue in the work. Members are of the view that the issue of the various licences should not be centralized in one single body. The Urban and Regional Councils should reinforce their present duties in their service to the public.
(B) CULTURAL SERVICES
Cultural promotion by the government can be in three directions: general promotion of cultural values and activities; financial support to special cultural activities or programmes organized by professionals; and stimulation of, through general education, our youths' interest in cultural values and activities.
The Urban Council has rich experience in and a consistent policy for the promotion of art and cultural activities. It encourages such activities through building and managing cultural facilities. As art needs diversification, it is not suitable for the Urban or Regional Council or any other single body to take up overall management of cultural activities in Hong Kong. One single policy will not do good to artistic creation of different forms and their development. The Urban and Regional Councils should adhere to a policy of diversification in the promotion of art, and not assume a dominant role. The two
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Councils should maintain their present powers and responsibilities, and continue to enrich the public's spiritual life by promoting different forms of art.
(C) RECREATIONAL SERVICES
Sports
Presently all sports activities and tournaments in Hong Kong are managed by the Urban and Regional Councils. The two Councils organize, promote and coordinate sports activities while the Council for Recreation and Sports concentrates on subsidizing and training local teams participating in international tournaments, as well as formulating long-term training plans for certain activities.
With the manpower and resources to provide and manage sports facilities and the experience in coordinating international events, the Urban and Regional Councils should, most members consider, take the initiative in the organization of locally held international sports events, besides reinforcing their existing functions. To increase their influence on the organization of international tournaments in Hong Kong by the Council for Recreation and Sports, and to coordinate the use of sports facilities by the three Councils, a review committee comprising representatives from the three Councils should be set up. The committee should report regularly to the three Councils.
Recreation
The Urban and Regional Councils' work in country parks concerns cleansing only. But as country parks are for the purpose of providing recreational services to the public, and as the Urban Council is already managing as many as 424 gardens and 26 parks, the Urban and Regional Councils can take up management of country parks as well.
To help the promotion of recreation and sports and enhance administrative efficiency, the Recreation and Sports Office (sic) should come under the management of the Urban and Regional Councils.
After detailed discussion, members consider that instead of reducing the powers of the Urban and Regional Councils, urban services should be stepped up in certain areas and expanded in some others. Should the two Councils be merged into a single body, municipal services will be managed and provided more efficiently. The existing second tier of government should therefore not be abolished.
(D) ADMINISTRATION
District relations
The Urban and Regional Councils are functional bodies which aim at providing municipal services to the public, whereas the District
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