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additional $4. For floodlit courts, there will be a slight increase in hourly charges from $33 to $36. Furthermore, the rates for the Centre Court at Victoria Park will be double that for use of the standard courts.
Sir, I so move.
MR. FAN KAM-PING, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, seconded the motion (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
MR. WALTER SULKE (in English):-Unfortunately, I was out of town when the paper bearing the recommendations from the Urban Services Department to raise prices for the use of tennis courts was discussed in the Finance Select Committee. I think this is another typical example of the Department not thinking commercially and that again, as in the case of the swimming pools, we are pricing ourselves out of the market. I understand that the popularity of tennis as such is declining somewhat in Hong Kong, and also that more and more tennis courts are becoming available. Many of the better class residential blocks of flats having been built in the last five years or so, and being built now, do have their own tennis courts. I see our courts at Wong Nai Chung Gap quite frequently and whereas normally one could expect these courts to be full, yet recently in the early mornings I have seen vacant courts. I believe that a raise in prices now will be counterproductive, and I hope that all my fellow Councillors here today will reconsider this matter now and vote against this motion.
My recommendation would be to leave charges as they are for peak periods and lower them for off-peak periods. And I should like to remind all members that we spend a great deal of money on the building of our swimming pools, squash courts, tennis courts etc. and it is in my view, therefore, worthwhile increasing our subsidies on such facilities if such an increase in subsidy means an increase in usage. Because in the last analysis we build such facilities for the people of Hong Kong to use and we don't want to discourage them from using our tennis courts which I am afraid is what we are going to do if we now raise our prices.
In fact, I believe if we do not raise our prices and instead lower our prices for off-peak periods we may well increase the total takings and thereby reduce the subsidy.
Mr. Chairman, I do not support the motion and I would like again to ask all my colleagues to vote against the motion.
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):----Mr. Chairman, this motion concerns the introduction of differential charges in peak hours and non-peak hours for tennis courts. Charges for non-peak hours will remain unchanged whereas charges for peak hours will be raised. One of the reasons for this is to lower the subsidy level and also to boost the usage rate of the tennis courts during non-peak hours. I think since the Urban Council has got a surplus as mentioned
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by Mr. SULKE and recently the Government has increased the rates, the Urban Council does not have any deficit at all. Moreover, some services provided by the Urban Council has a subsidy rate of 100 per cent or even above. Since the Urban Council gets rates from rate-payers, it should in return provide services free of charge. However, it proposes to increase the hire charges in peak hours, although this practice had been in effect before 1 April 1984 that does not mean it is good. As public holidays, Saturdays, Sundays as well as weekdays after 5 p.m. are regarded as peak hours, I would like to ask what other times apart from the peak-hour slots will be made available to the general public, i.e. those who have to work and go to school. The Urban Council is responsible for promoting sports especially those healthy ones such as tennis. I think the UC should promote tennis as one of the popular sports enjoyed by the general public at a very low price so it is really improper for us to increase the charges for peak hours because if we do so then those who cannot afford the increased charges will be deprived of the provision of such sports services thus resulting class conflict. Also, since many citizens cannot spare time to play tennis in non-peak hours, any increase in hire charges in peak hours will force them to accept this unreasonable charge compulsorily or to give up tennis altogether. If the UC takes the lead in introducing differential charges in peak hours I am sure this will be regarded as a bad precedent and other organisations such as MTR is going to follow suit. The Cross Harbour Tunnel and the Lion Rock Tunnel are also examining the feasibility of introducing this differential charge system. If the trend has developed, all public services no matter the transport services or otherwise can use this excuse to extort the general public. Mr. Chairman, I do not support the motion. Even if this motion is carried, I hope that amendments can be made as soon as possible.
Mr. Samuel P. W. WONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, very briefly, this had been debated in great length in the Recreation Select Committee and also in the Finance Select Committee. The main point of this motion is the differential charges system to be introduced so as to encourage the public to use tennis courts during non-peak hours to achieve better cost-effectiveness. In fact, the department is well aware that the peak-hour sessions in fact have been severely overbooked and people have to queue up for a long time.
The question was put.
The motion was carried with 14 votes for, 10 against and 3 abstention. (The Chairman did not vote).
2. DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, moved the following motion:-
'RESOLVED that the Swimming Pools (Urban Council) (Amendment) By-laws 1988 be made under section 42 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132.'
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