Page 494 of 606
PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
637
As for the policy on sports, the DP is of the view that regardless of whether we host the Asian Games or not, the opportunity should be taken to arouse the concern of those in the sports field, the athletes, the public or even those in politics on the way forward of our sports policy.
The amendment bill on the SDB has given rise to controversies between the SDB and the SF&OC, each of which has its own stand. There has been a lot of coverage on this in the newspapers. But be they quasi-official organizations like the SDB or non-government organizations like the SF&OC, they all have put forward their suggestions and asked the Government to reshuffle the existing structure of sports. Their message is loud and clear.
As a matter of fact, the Hong Kong Government has been issuing white papers one after another on a good number of social policies since the mid-1960s for public consultation and planning purposes. But it is most unfortunate that the Government has not yet published any comprehensive consultation papers on sports services and policies to canvass public opinion. At present, the SDB promotes elite sports while the two MCs promote sports at the middle-class and the grassroot levels. The Government has not made any comprehensive review in this respect as if such an arrangement is a matter of course. Although the arrangement for transfer of executive powers subsequent to the dissolution of the two MCs has been mentioned in the Consultant's Report on Culture, the Arts, Recreation and Sports Services submitted by Mr. LAM Chi-chiu, there is no suggestion of any concrete solution to the problems and the difficult position that sports services are now facing. So the DP considers it necessary for the Government to come up with a territory-wide consultation paper on sports services. Apart from the views given by the SDB, the opinion of sports organizations should also be heeded, and public participation and input are particularly important. We think that sports services should not be handled by a bunch of bureaucrats, and sports resources should never be monopolized by certain groups. The establishment of a sound framework requires sensible resource allocations. Public participation and input are even more indispensable.
Our party is of the view that the proposed amendment to the SDB legislation by the token addition of several members appears to be unable to satisfy public aspirations. After the scrapping of the two MCs, we will rely on government departments to manage venues and to deal with sports training. It is a retrogression in sports services. Therefore, our party hopes that there ought to be public participation in the future structure. Otherwise our party would have great reservations about the future structure, and would even expect to see very little room for sports development. Of course we do not deny that the SDB has chalked up certain achievements and certain athletes have achieved good results. But the framework has been repeatedly questioned by the public and the sports community. At the end of last year, the Home Affairs Bureau organized seminars on the Review of District Organizations. Ironical enough, many representatives from various organizations did not give their
Page 494 of 606
Page 494 of 606
Page 494 of 606