HONG KONG PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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HKTA and the Trade Development Council. Mr. Chairman, there is therefore a big difference between my amended motion and the original motion. My amended motion is more realistic. The Council has already been working together with the organizations concerned. What we need to do is to strengthen and further strengthen our relationship.
The second difference is that my amended motion exactly defines the proper identity and role of the Council in complementing the activities of the other parties concerned while the original motion is very ambiguous, misleading and would impose on the Council an extra duty which it should not assume.
The third difference is that the amended motion has extended the narrow scope confined to the HKTA to all the organizations concerned. All the semi-official organizations working for the benefit of Hong Kong should be treated alike. We will play the same complementary role.
Lastly, I wish to make some clarification concerning Ms. Ada WONG's specific recommendations. I simply don't understand. I wonder whether Members have received a letter dated 5 March from the HKTA to us. I have received one. In the last paragraph, that is, paragraph 10, on Page 3 of the letter dated 5 March, items 1, 2 and 3 are exactly the specific recommendations put forth by Ms. Wong, which cover the cooperation in respect of venues, programmes and the URBTIX. These are the HKTA's views and what it wants us to do. Paragraph 12 of the letter says that if the above principle of cooperation is endorsed by the Provisional Urban Council, the HKTA may set up a working group with the Urban Services Department, which will convene regular meetings, prepare detailed plans and work out the details of cooperation.
Ms. Ada Wong put forth these recommendations in the capacity of the proposer of the motion, but I wish to remind Members that these recommendations in fact originate from the HKTA. Nevertheless, it is possible that they have telepathy and have therefore come up with the same good recommendations. I wish to point out that even if my amended motion is carried, it does not necessarily mean the acceptance of the HKTA's recommendations, because some of the recommendations, such as those involving the URBTIX and the booking policy, fall within the ambit of certain Select Committees. I would clarify in particular that endorsing my amended motion does not mean endorsing the way of implementation, which should first be studied by the relevant Select Committee and then referred to the parties concerned.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I move my amended motion.
Ms. Carlye Tsui Wai-ling (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I second Mr. PAO Ping-wing's amended motion.
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