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MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a supplementary question. In addition to illegal hawkers, there are also shops and stalls selling these kinds of food and drink which are not under the jurisdiction of the GDTs. When we give warning or advice to members of the public to pay more attention to food hygiene knowledge, we must not ignore this and must pay more attention to this. Will the Food Hygiene Select Committee deal with unlicensed cooked food stalls as they are selling shell food in the night time as well?
MR. L. H. KWAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, there are two parts of the question. The first concerns some shops making use of public land or operating beyond the licensed area. In fact, the Food Hygiene Select Committee is aware of this and has repeatedly dealt with this issue. We are strengthening prosecution against these premises if they continue committing offences. If three offences are committed within a year, the licence of these premises will be suspended for two days until the licence is cancelled altogether. At the last meeting of the Food Hygiene Select Committee, we have discussed the matter of shell fish and the press is also aware of this.
11. MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in Cantonese):—It is encouraging to see that our library services and facilities, which have been undergoing constant improvements and are becoming modernized, are very popular with the studious young people. The local population, however, is aging and there has been great change in the family structure. For instance, members of the 'nuclear families' are facing greater psychological stress than before. Would the Council consider it necessary to review and change its policy on library services to cope with the target users and their needs?
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):—This question concerns existing library policy, and whether it needs to be reviewed to meet the needs of an aging population and changes in the family structure.
The Council, through its Libraries Select Committee, regularly reviews various policies in relation to its library services with a view to better meeting the needs of the community.
To cite a few examples, over the last few years, the scope of the district libraries has been expanded to cover facilities for the use of audio-visual materials and a more comprehensive programme of library extension activities.
A standard district library now provides lending facilities for adults and children, a quick reference collection, a newspapers and periodicals section, an audio-visual library, an extension activities room, a student's study room and an initial stock of 44,000 items. In all, it occupies an area of about 1,500 m2 and the policy is to provide one such library for every 200,000 people.
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Whilst the initial stock for new libraries has been doubled to meet the increased demand for a wider range of library materials, it will be further expanded to reach a target provision of 0.7 items per capita in 1992. More recently, taking into account the usage pattern, the Libraries Select Committee has adjusted the ratio between English and Chinese reading materials, and has also agreed in principle, subject to a review in 1992, to increase the provision of library materials to 1.0 items per capita.
To better reach the less mobile sectors of the community, a number of small interim libraries of between 100–150 m2 have been provided in more densely populated areas. Noting the popularity of these small libraries with the target groups, the Libraries Select Committee recently decided to increase the size of the newer small libraries to 350 m2, with a view to providing a newspapers and periodicals service for the elderly and facilities for extension activities for children. It has also agreed to provide a third mobile library van, and has asked that this service be put into operation as soon as practicable.
Concurrently, the facilities in the junior libraries have been expanded to enable parents to read to their children in the picture book sections. Carpeted seating is provided and attempts are made to decorate each junior library with a different theme, to help families enjoy the facilities in a relaxed atmosphere. For example, the junior library in the recently opened Po On Road Public Library provides an area decorated like an indoor garden, the Shui Wo Street Public Library like a circus, the Yau Ma Tei Public Library to be opened in the summer, like a railway station and the Quarry Bay Public Library to be opened in autumn like a castle.
For senior citizens, interest clubs such as Cantonese operatic songs are organized with a view to encouraging them to visit the libraries on a regular basis and to borrow audio-cassettes on Chinese music.
Joint interest clubs for mothers and children are also organized from time to time, to enable children to attend story hours or learn simple crafts in one section of the extension activities room, while their mothers attend an interest club on such activities as the art of flower arrangement or home decoration in the next room.
Mr. Chairman, I can assure you that the Libraries Select Committee will continue to respond to emerging community needs in a positive manner with a view to providing an even better library service to the community in the years ahead.
MRS. CHOW CHEUNG WAI-PING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the aim of my question does not seem to have been answered satisfactorily. I would like to ask what are the new plans for provision of UC library service for the elderly. It was said in the reply that a small library would be expanded. I wish to ask whether the Council would consider enlarging the characters or prints of books for the elderly.
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