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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(vii) refurbish worn out floors and tiles; and
(viii) rectify defective lifts and escalators.
With these words, I so move.
Mr. Christopher Chung Shu-KUN (in Cantonese): When I first read the motion on improvement of markets, I thought it would be a brief outline. But Mr. Chairman, you have come up with such a comprehensive motion speech today that I really admire you. I intended to add something to supplement your speech in seconding your motion. But your speech is so comprehensive that there's nothing I can add or supplement. So, I call upon all Members to support this motion.
Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.
MR. KAM NAI-WAI (in Cantonese): I believe members have all received my note about amending the Chairman's motion. I would like to change the wordings of the motion by adding 'and ventilation system' after 'design and layout', and 'and to install air-conditioning systems in future market buildings' before 'with a view to meeting the needs of the community.'
Let me explain why such amendment is necessary. Mr. Christopher CHUNG moved a motion which focused on air-conditioning but did not touch on other problems related to markets. So I think his motion is good but still inadequate. As pointed out by Mr. Chairman, U.C. markets are beset with many problems.
Mr. Chairman's motion speech is so informative that it reads like a Departmental paper. Nevertheless, his motion fails to highlight the design problems, in particular, the ventilation problem. The motion has such content and wordings but it lacks foresight. Mr. Chairman has once said that the aim of moving a motion at the Monthly Meeting is to arouse public awareness. Yet if Mr. Chairman's motion is passed in its original form today, the public will think that it is just another mundane discussion on the market issue without addressing the problems that everybody is concerned with. I therefore suggest to amend the wordings to include 'ventilation system' and 'install air-conditioning system' to make the motion more substantive, more forward-looking and more appealing to the public.
I wish to explain why ventilation is such an important issue. According to information supplied by the Department, in the past year, there were six markets, namely Sheung Wan Market, Yue Wan Market, Central Market, Ngau Tau Kok Market, Po On Road Market and Kwun Chung Market which had plans to improve their ventilation system or improvement works were already underway. I understand that many other markets, such as the Aberdeen Market, have problems with their ventilation system but are not yet scheduled for improvement. Some Members suggest examining the feasibility of installing air-conditioning systems in existing markets. This is a good idea worth considering but as you all know, it would be more difficult than providing an air-conditioning system in new markets. The conversion works would also significantly affect the traders as well as