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MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese):-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In fact, illegal hawking around market is not confined to Sai Wan Ho Market. We can find such a situation in a lot of markets. Do we have to change the policy because of this? However, one point advanced by Mr. CHAN which I am willing to discuss in the Committee is that there may be some stalls which are not physically operated by the lessees because they possess more than one stall. Whether this is violating the tenancy agreement or not needs to be further discussed and followed up. As I gave a reply to Mr. BERNACCHI a moment ago, we will certainly follow-up on this issue in our Committee.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, since some lessees who hold more than one stall choose to trade physically at the most viable stall and use the other stall for storage purposes, is it a normal situation?
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I have already answered Mr. CHAN. The Committee will certainly follow up on this issue. When I answered Mr. BERNACCHI, I made the same statement that the Select Committee would follow this up. If we discover that there is any violation, we will consider cancelling the tenancy agreements.
MR. ALBERT POON SHUN-KWOK (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a question concerning installation of air-conditioning system. Mr. CHAN just told us that it is not the general policy of UC to install such a system for markets. I would like to ask with the change of modern technology in the present society, whether Mr. CHAN considers that it is necessary to review the present policy of providing air-conditioning system for future markets and cooked food centres.
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese): Mr. POON, Thank you for your question. Arising from the question concerning the cooked food centre in Sai Wan Ho Market, I think the Council should review the present policy. As I stated in my reply that there is no general policy concerning provision of air-conditioning and each case will be considered on its own merit. I will ask the Working Group on Provision of Marketing Facilities to review our present policy.
(Miss Cecilia YEUNG Lai-yin arrived at 2.58 p.m.)
2. DR. SAMUEL WONG PING-WAI asked the following question (in Cantonese):-According to recent report in the newspaper, the private sector plans to develop a $3B multi-storey underground shopping and exhibition complex beneath Victoria Park have fallen through.
The Park has been in existence for nearly 40 years. Do we have some modernization plans to upgrade its various facilities? Would these plans be affected by the possible underground development of others?
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MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns whether or not the Department has plans to modernize and upgrade the facilities at Victoria Park and whether these plans would be affected by possible underground development.
The Department has no major modernization plan in hand for redeveloping Victoria Park such as on the scale of Kowloon Park; however there have been two proposals from private developers to redevelop the site. These proposals are still being negotiated between the developers and the Buildings and Lands Department. Meanwhile the Urban Services Department is currently engaged in a number of minor projects to improve and upgrade existing facilities there. The items completed to date include the upgrading of a model boat pool and a children's playground. Works are also in progress for the provision of air-conditioning to the squash courts, which will be ready for public use in September 1991. Facilities under active planning include improvement to a second children's playground, redevelopment of the Bowling Green and general improvement works to the Centre Court. For the long term, the Department has been examining the possibility of major improvements to the tennis facilities.
The Department's improvement works which have been recently carried out and those under active planning are small in scale and therefore are not expected to be affected by the underground development proposed by one of the developers. This is of course subject to the nature and proximity of the project such as site excavations, effects on the water table, and the methods of construction. In the absence of detailed plans of the underground development on the site, the Department is not in a position to give a more specific answer.
The Department had been approached by private developers with proposals to redevelop above and below the Victoria Park site. These proposals are mainly commercial in content and take the form of the developer using the underground part for commercial purpose and in return providing leisure facilities on the surface for the Council. During exploratory discussion with private developers, the Department has examined the existing park setting and usage and has drawn up improvement proposals for the developers to consider. The planning objective of the Department is aimed at providing a better Victoria Park at the end of the development and to minimize disturbance to the existing park usage during its construction. In view of the land tenure implications, and of the commercial nature of the development, the developers have been advised to clear their proposals first with the Government. The present position with the developers is that their proposals are still in the hands of the Government.
Since it is the Council's policy to continue to improve its facilities, I will certainly ask the Department to look into the possibility of up-grading the facilities at Victoria Park for the enjoyment of Hong Kong people.
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