HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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As to the selection of site for toilets to cater to the needs of professional drivers, it is not made by the Urban Council. To a large extent, it is the Town Planning Committee which decides the sites for municipal facilities and public toilets. For the old urban area, these sites were identified a long time ago. Back to the problem of professional drivers. The public toilets they now use are mostly situated in remote and quiet areas where the traffic is not busy and where they can park their cars for a few minutes without causing obstruction to traffic or inconvenience to the public.
IV. RESUMPTION OF ANNUAL CONVENTIONAL DEBATE
(1) Resumption of debate on the following motion moved by the Chairman, Provisional Urban Council at the meeting of the Council held on 13 January 1998:-
"That this Council endorse the Statement of Aims for 1998/99."
He said (in Cantonese):—I will be replying to the above motion as follows. Points of my speech are already distributed to Members.
I will be exercising my right of reply so as to resume the debate on the following motion:-
"That this Council endorse the Statement of Aims for 1998/99."
First of all, I wish to thank Members for their contribution of invaluable views to the work of the Council in the past year. In accordance with the practice for motion speech, I will first of all review the achievement in the past year and the way forward.
Today, I am going to exercise my right of reply, which will give me a chance to respond to Members' advice and follow up on the recommendations made. Having summed up Members' views, I wish to reply as follows.
On the politicization of councils. Since the Provisional Urban Council is a pragmatic organization working for the betterment of the livelihood of the community, our work should focus on the overall interests of the people rather than simply dwell on political considerations or convictions of individual political parties. Since the handover on 1 July 1997, the number of seats in this Council has increased to 50. As the Council is representative of public views, it is understandable that discussions at meetings last longer than previous ones. Nevertheless, there are cases in which Members' discussions at meetings are unduly lengthy and trivial. There are also Members who simply repeat others' views. There is even the tendency for Members upgrading local interests to the Council level. It is hoped that Members will take note of this.
I also note that some issues which could be handled by the Select Committees or Sub-Committees are brought to the monthly meetings of the Council or meetings of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council, thereby
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