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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question is divided into two parts. The first asks whether each of Council's recreation and sports venues such as indoor games halls, squash courts and district fitness centres have staff officers adequately trained with first-aid knowledge and how are they briefed with directives to deal with injuries and accidents occurring at these venues.
Since 1984 first-aid has formed an integral part of the training given to all newly recruited supervisory and managerial grade staff in the sports and recreation field. Certain other groups for whom such training is deemed to be essential, such as lifeguards, have always received such training. Courses are also organized for staff who have not had first-aid training and approximately 50 members of staff attend these courses every year. The courses are organized through the Training School with the assistance of the Auxiliary Medical Service.
Procedures are laid down in the operational guidelines issued to staff to ensure that they deal with accidents efficiently and in the proper manner. In the case of minor injuries, first-aid treatment is administered on the spot. For serious cases staff call for an ambulance and administer basic first-aid treatment prior to the arrival of trained medical personnel.
The second part of the question asks, 'what present and/or future measures have been or will be implemented in order to prevent and adequately cope with injuries and accidents which occur in sports activities and physical exercises at Urban Council venues'.
A number of measures are taken to try to prevent accidents occurring at Council venues and to ensure that when accidents do occur these are dealt with in a proper manner. Most important among these, is that at the design stage steps are taken to ensure that the venues themselves incorporate safety features. For example, safety matting is specified as a standard feature in all new playgrounds; adequate safety margins are maintained between the active play area in indoor games halls and the exterior wall, spectator stand etc. For sports venues, first-aid rooms with basic first-aid equipment are provided. Additionally, staff, as far as possible, ensure that activities taking place in Council venues are properly organized and supervised by qualified instructors.
It is an unfortunate fact that accidents do sometimes occur but the Council has long recognized the importance of ensuring that facilities under its management are designed and operated to the highest possible safety standards and I can assure Members that this will continue to be the case.
4.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—When I queried critical remarks in the press about a T.V. commercial made by the Central Government advertising the Urban Council I learnt that, apparently, the commercial was made without the Council being consulted. Should this Council as an autonomous body not control its own publicity? And if this is so, what can be done to obtain such control?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question refers to critical remarks made in one Chinese newspaper last February about a TV API produced by the Government and touching on the work of the Council, and asks whether it was made without the Council being consulted, and if so why was the Council not consulted.
The short answer is that the Council's Public Information Unit was consulted from the outset and did safeguard the Council's interests in the making of this API. The item was one of four 30-second APIs produced by the Government as part of a Civic Education Campaign. The other three programmes dealt with the Legislative Council, the District Boards and the Mutual Aid Committees.
The purpose of the APIs was of course to stimulate public interest in civic education, and the one on the Council was aimed at showing the spread of its activities, briefly covering such aspects as parks, playgrounds, recreation, street cleaning, libraries and Ward Offices.
This API reflected very favourably on the work of the Council and was well received by the public with the exception of a writer on a minor Chinese-language newspaper who wrote a sarcastic Short Comment about it, in which he was expressing his or her own personal views.
I do not wish to repeat the remarks made by the columnist but from the tone of the article it seems that he or she is very biased towards District Boards. However, I am sure that Mr. SULKE will agree that it was very generous of the Government to produce a nice little technicolour puff for the Council which, if it didn't satisfy that one critic, at least got across to the majority of Hong Kong residents the very good job carried out by the Council over a wide field of activity. This must be even more pleasing to Mr. SULKE since, as Chairman of the Finance Select Committee, he will be aware that the Government's kind gesture saved the Council many thousands of dollars in producing its own API.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):-I am always very happy when we can save some money. But the criticism of this API was much more wide-spread than my friend seemed to think. I think it would be better if we kept control in future of our own advertisement especially of the timing. I hope he will agree to do so in future.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as I have said the aim of this kind of production is to promote civic education and this is provided by the Government. For the films produced by the Council, we will of course give careful consideration as to whether they suit the taste of the citizens. I am sure Mr. SULKE will have more good comments. Sometimes in producing this short film, if we exaggerate the good points of the Council, it may produce opposite effect.
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