XN000022-1986-03-12 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1986

FURTHERMORE, THE NEW CHINESE TITLE WOULD HELP THE GROUP OF NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS WHO WOULD BE JOINING THE COUNCIL IN APRIL TO UNDERSTAND CLEARLY THE OBJECTS OF THE COUNCIL'S SERVICE AND THE NATURE OF ITS WORK IN ORDER TO DISCHARGE THEIR DUTIES AS MEMBERS OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL, MR CHEUNG ADDED.

LASTLY, MR CHEUNG SAID THAT SINCE THE CHANGE OF THE CHINESE TITLE COULD BETTER REFLECT THE RESEMBLANCE BETWEEN ITS NATURE OF WORK AND THAT OF THE URBAN COUNCIL, HE WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO TO PROVIDE SATISFACTORY SERVICES AND FACILITIES TO RESIDENTS OF HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN ALSO SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, SAYING THAT SINCE THE SETTING UP OF THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL, MEMBERS OF THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE PROVISIONAL REGIONAL COUNCIL HAD MET INFORMALLY ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS TO EXCHANGE VIEWS ON MATTERS OF COMMON INTEREST FALLING WITHIN THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF BOTH COUNCILS.

HE SAID THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL WHICH WOULD FORMALLY SET UP THE REGIONAL COUNCIL FROM APRIL 1 SHOULD ENABLE MEMBERS OF BOTH COUNCILS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP EVEN FURTHER AND TO CO-ORDINATE ACTIVITIES ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS.

ALSO PASSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY WAS THE URBAN COUNCIL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986.

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE HON HILTON CHEONG-LEEN SAID IT WOULD ENABLE THE URBAN COUNCIL IN FUTURE TO ORGANISE OR SPONSOR CULTURAL AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES IN THE JUBILEE SPORTS CENTRE AND OTHER VENUES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR THE FOUR MILLION RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE URBAN AREA.

IT WOULD ALSO ENABLE THE NEW REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE URBAN COUNCIL TO JOINTLY CO-OPERATE IN SPONSORING SPORTS AND CULTURAL PROGRAMMES, EITHER IN THE NEW TERRITORIES OR THE URBAN AREA, AND ALSO IN BUILDING AND OPERATING FACILITIES SUCH AS A STAFF TRAINING CENTRE.

+ARRANGEMENTS SUCH AS THESE PROVIDED UNDER THE NEW ORDINANCE ARE VERY DESIRABLE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE COMPREHENSIVE RECREATIONAL, CULTURAL AND OTHER MUNICIPAL SERVICES FOR THE HONG KONG PUBLIC. BEARING IN MIND THE NEED TO BE COST-EFFECTIVE,+ MR CHEONG-LEEN SAID.

HE ADDED THAT THE URBAN COUNCIL WOULD ALSO BE EMPOWERED TO SUPPORT OR SPONSOR WORTHWHILE CULTURAL OR SPORTS PROJECTS INVOLVING LOCAL PARTICIPANTS WHO MIGHT HAVE TO PERFORM OUTSIDE OF HONG KONG.

THANKING MR