222
The question was put.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The motion was carried unanimously.
3. MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion (in English): Mr. Chairman, As Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee, I rise to move the motion standing in my name:
'RESOLVED that the Designation of Libraries (Urban Council Area) (No. 3) Order 1987 be made under section 105K of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
The purpose of the Order are to designate the premises at the third floor of Urban Council Kowloon City Complex, 100 Nga Tsin Wai Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon as a library and cancel the designation of the Ping Shek Public Library and to amend the schedule to the Designation of Libraries (Urban Council Area) Order 1986.
I beg to move.
MR. MARVIN K. T. CHEUNG, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, second the motion (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
4. MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I rise to move the motion standing in my name:
'RESOLVED that this Council recommends to the Hong Kong Government the introduction of Summer Time in 1988 as it will have a direct bearing, both administratively and financially, on this Council's work in maintaining, as one of its statutory functions, facilities for recreation indirectly affecting the citizens of Hong Kong who wish to enjoy such facilities.'
Presently the Urban Council provides outdoor recreational facilities of various kinds to a large section of the community such as parks (26), children's playgrounds (220), gardens (648), tennis courts (96), etc. It would be in the best of public interests if members of the public were able to enjoy these outdoor facilities for the longest possible period in daylight. For instance, it would be nice to see a school child or an office/factory worker have a few hours of daylight left after school or work to go to the beaches or parks, thereby returning in a way a greater value for public money spent. Morning walkers who patronize our recreational venues would, I believe, also welcome Summer Time because although they may have to start their walk partly in the dark they can, on the other hand, have the benefit and enjoyment of walking into the dawn and have the sunrise awaiting them.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 116 of 185
223
Another advantage of having Summer Time is that it will save this Council considerable sum of money by shortening the food lighting hours required for some of our recreational venues, for example, the Victoria and Morse Parks. Worldwide, Summer Time is accepted as an energy saving measure and it is as much needed today as it was some 70 years ago when it was first introduced.
I understand that this subject is of general concern to Members of this Council and I am sure other Members would like to rise and speak on the same subject later on.
Sir, I beg to move.
MR. FAN KAM-PING, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, seconded the following motion (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
MR. SZETO (in English):-I am most grateful to my friend Sam WONG for having moved this Motion. It is a Motion that I would have liked to have moved myself, but then everyone in the Hong Kong Government would have thrown up their hands in horror and said, 'Here is SZETO having a go at us again', and that is enough reason for them to let a good idea go down the drain together with the bath water!
When in this Council some five years ago I asked for summertime to be reintroduced, the USD produced statistics which showed that just in Victoria and Morse Parks this Council would save at least HK$1 million per annum if summertime were introduced. Since then we have introduced many more venues with flood lighting and electricity charges have gone up, so I am quite safe in saying that as far as this Council is concerned a reintroduction of summertime would save us, and thereby the rate payer, considerably more than HK$1 million per annum. And similar savings would accrue to the rest of Government and to the community, which is one of the reasons why in a survey conducted by the South China Morning Post in April this year the majority of housewives were for the introduction of summertime because they are more concerned with family budgets and to them the savings made possible by later daylight in the evenings are important.
But not only are there savings in monetary terms, there are savings in energy. And energy saving, although one doesn't hear too much about it nowadays, is just as important as it has ever been. The world's stocks of oil and coal still underground are finite. We are going to run out of them sooner or later and our great-grandchildren are not going to forgive us if we squander their resources, and I emphasize that we are squandering our children's inheritance by not saving energy now. These are two very good reasons why we should have summertime. Incidentally and just as important, the saving of energy also reduces to some extent our already heavy air pollution.