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to take any action against the owner. Notwithstanding this, all major public transport companies have their own pest control contractors to carry out disinfestation work for their vehicle fleets at regular intervals.
MR. DAVID FONG PUI-SHEUNG (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, I wish to know whether the Council has ever taken any action under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) to serve notices to the ferry companies?
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, the answer is no because in the past 12 months, the Department has not received any such complaints.
2. MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR asked the following question (in Cantonese):-It is learned that some organizations hire the UC facilities such as music rooms, dance rooms and art studios etc. at a low rent for running profit-making tutorial courses and interest classes. This seriously affects the image of the Urban Council.
I would like to know:
(1) If such a practice affects the hiring of UC facilities by non-profit-making organizations?
(2) Would the Council consider reviewing the rules for hiring UC venues so as to stop such an undesirable practice?
MR. LO KING-MAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURE SELECT COMMITTEE replied as follows (in English):-Mr. Chairman, up to the present time, the hiring of Urban Council small facilities to commercial organizations has not yet adversely affected hiring by bona-fide non-profit making organizations presenting arts-related activities. Current booking policy in all UC cultural venues accords priority to applicants presenting arts-related functions. In the case of Community Arts Centres, 75% of booking time is reserved for use by such hirers. So far, no cases of non-profit making organizations presenting arts-related events have been turned down. Whilst the Council is keen to market these small facilities to arts-related organizations who will help to promote various arts forms to the general public, current booking patterns in respect of use by such organizations have not been too encouraging. As it is not economic nor desirable to leave these facilities under-utilized, they are currently open to bookings by other types of hirers, some of whom are commercial hirers and some of whom organized non-arts-related events, such as classes and meetings, those are not of a cultural nature.
In an attempt to promote usage whilst still adhering to Council's aims and objectives in operating these facilities, a cost review is currently being conducted which aims at drawing up a scale of fees whereby comparable market rates would be levied on commercial hirers, whilst non-profit making organizations will be able to continue to enjoy lower rates of charges. In addition, non-profit making bodies will continue to be entitled to apply for assistance under the existing rental subsidy scheme for their arts-related activities.
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Thus, in conclusion, at the present moment we have not yet been confronted with the need of perpetuating undesirable practice, we must encourage usage rather than have the facilities left empty.
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese):-Thank you Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to hear that non-profit-making organizations will not be affected, but I think the reply is some more too positive. Mr. LO said that a cost review would be conducted on commercial organizations, but I want to know about the timetable of this review. Besides, I am also worried that as the commercial organizations who will occupy a lot of times logs to hire these facilities in various months, those bodies who would like to hire the venues at short notice for arts related activities may not be able to secure bookings. I would like to know whether this has happened before?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, my answer addresses the original question which itself mentions certain small scale facilities like music rooms, dance rooms etc. I have different views with regard to the performances and other activities just mentioned by Mr. CHAN. I will undertake to urge the Department to speed up the review so as to present the suggestions to the Culture Select Committee for consideration. As I have pointed out in my reply, the review is aiming at drawing up market rates so that commercial and profit-making organizations would have to pay the necessary cost.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese):-Thank you Mr. Chairman. I would like to know whether the Culture Select Committee will consider this. Since the utilization rates of some venues are low, will the venues be reduced in number or will they be converted to other uses? After the review is completed, even if the hire charges levied by certain organizations are the same or lower, many problems still exist. If the hire charges are lower, we may make profits. However, is it contrary to the original objective of the Council to make profits? If there is a deficit, would the Council be accused of misusing the ratepayers' money to subsidize the commercial organizations to exploit money?
MR. LO KING-MAN (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, yes.
3.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question (in English):-
(a) Is it not usual for no demolition to be made of a fixed pitch or a wall stall, pending an Appeal to the Governor in Council, now the Urban Services Appeals Board?
(b) Would the Chairman of the Markets and Street Traders explain the following: A Mr. TAI Poon-hing had correctly appealed to the Governor in Council, but since the change in the legislation, appeal now lies to the Urban Services Appeals Board. A certain memo of mine as an Urban Councillor to the Clerk of Council and the Urban Services Department had therefore been passed on to the Secretary of that Board before the 21 August 1990. The stall was nevertheless demolished ‘as scheduled on the 23 August, in effect whilst the appeal of Mr. TAI was being considered by the Appeals Board.
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