XN000022-1983-04-27 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 1983

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DB'S PROMOTING RECREATION

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DISTRICT BOARDS ARE PARTICULARLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THE PROMOTION OF RECREATION ACTIVITIES. THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, THE HON DENIS BRAY, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

QUERIED BY THE HON ANDREW SO ON THE ROLE PLAYED BY DISTRICT BOARDS IN THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMMES, MR BRAY SAID THAT THE ANNUAL PROGRAMME, PLANNED BY DISTRICT BOARDS, WILL ALSO INCLUDE SOME LOCAL PROGRAMMES ORGANISED BY DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS AND CO-ORDINATED BY DISTRICT OFFICERS TO ENSURE THAT DISTRICT EFFORTS IN RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER+.

+SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMMES ARE FUNDED BY THE JOCKEY CLUB, THE GOVERNMENT, PARTICIPANTS' FEES, DONATIONS AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, HE POINTED OUT.

BUT, HE SAID, PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS HAVE INDICATED NO INCREASE IN GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND, UNLESS DONATIONS FROM OTHER SOURCES WERE INCREASED, THE SCALE OF THE PROGRAMME FOR 1983 WOULD BE THE SAME AS LAST YEAR'S,

ABOUT 7 000 EVENTS OF VARIOUS TYPES, MOSTLY RECREATIONAL, WERE AVAILABLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE LAST YEAR, HE ADDED.

MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATIONS MAKING GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS

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MUTUAL AID ASSOCIATIONS HAD CONTRIBUTED A GREAT DEAL TO CREATING A SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AT A TIME OF GREAT SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT, THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, THE HON DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR AKERS-JONES ALSO WOULD NOT HESITATE TO SAY THAT THE MACS WERE A MOST EFFECTIVE ORGANISATION IN PROMOTING THE SECURITY AND CLEANLINESS OF BUILDINGS AND IN PREVENTING CRIME.

ANSWERING A QUESTION BY THE HON WONG LAM AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID THAT IN THE 10 YEARS SINCE 1973 WHEN THE MOVEMENT FIRST STARTED, 3 800 MACS HAD BEEN FORMED IN HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

+ IT IS PROBABLY TRUE TO SAY TODAY THAT HALF THE TOTAL POPULATION OF HONG KONG COME UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF A MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE,+ HE ADDED.

UR AKERS-JONES