XN000022-1994-10-06 — Page 30

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994

ONE OF THE ORGANISATIONS HAVE

PROBLEMS THAT PEOPLE DISPENSING MONEY TO ARTS TO ADDRESS, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE ALWAYS FACED WITH, IS HOW MUCH OF THEIR CASH TO GIVE TO ESTABLISHED ART FORMS AND HOW MUCH TO GIVE TO AVANT-GARDE, A MORE EXPERIMENTAL ART FORMS? THEY ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY SHOULD LEAVE SOME AREAS OF THE ARTS ΤΟ MARKET FORCES. TO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. WHETHER YOU SHOULD SUBSIDISE THE PUBLISHING OF POETRY OR THE PUBLISHING OF MAGAZINES WHICH PROVIDE CRITICISM OF MUSIC OR THE VISUAL ARTS OR WHETHER YOU SHOULD ASSUME THAT THE MARKET WILL TAKE CARE OF THOSE. I AM CONTENT TO LEAVE THOSE SORT OF ISSUES ΤΟ THE ARTS DEVELOPMENT BOARD BECAUSE I HAVE TO SAY, SPEAKING AS A POLITICIAN OR A POLITICAL ADMINISTRATOR, I AM A BIT SUSPICIOUS OF POLITICIANS TAKING THOSE DECISIONS. VERY OFTEN IN MY JUDGMENT POLITICIANS TAKE THOSE SORT OF DECISIONS FOR THE WRONG REASONS. THEY TAKE THOSE DECISIONS BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE ON THEM FROM PARTICULAR LOBBY GROUPS. OR THEY TAKE THOSE DECISIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN PARTICULAR INTERESTS. I HAVE A FRIEND WHOSE NAME I WON'T MENTION, WHO WAS A MINISTER OF THE ARTS IN THE U.K. FOR SOME TIME, WHO WAS PASSIONATELY INTERESTED IN THE OPERA. DURING HIS PERIOD AS MINISTER OF THE ARTS IT WON'T SURPRISE YOU TO KNOW THAT FUNDING OF THE OPERA INCREASED VERY SUBSTANTIALLY BUT THERE WERE ONE OR TWO OTHER ART FORMS WHICH PERHAPS DIDN'T GET QUITE AS MUCH. SO I AM VERY MUCH IN FAVOUR OF LEAVING THOSE VERY TRICKY AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS SO FAR AS POSSIBLE TO THE BOARD THAT WE'VE SET

UP TO DEAL WITH THEM. I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED THAT JUST AS WE'VE SEEN IN HONG KONG IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THE DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICE INDUSTRIES, JUST AS WE'VE SEEN HONG KONG BECOME THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND IN SOME SENSES, ONE OF THE BUSINESS CENTRES OF ASIA, SO

WE WILL SEE HONG KONG BECOMING THE ARTS CENTRE OF THIS PART OF ASIA AS WELL. WE NEED TO GIVE THAT A BIT OF ENCOURAGEMENT, BUT I AM SURE MYSELF THAT WE'VE GOT ALL THE MAKINGS OF THAT, BOTH THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, THE CONSERVATOIR AND THEIR GROWING APPETITE FOR THE VISUAL ARTS AND FOR PERFORMANCE. I AM ABLE TO SEE QUITE A BIT OF THE VISUAL ARTS AND TO HEAR QUITE A BIT OF MUSIC IN HONG KONG AND I THINK WE ARE JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF A REAL CULTURAL RENAISSANCE IN THE COMMUNITY.

QUESTION:

DO

BEFORE 1997 THE COST OF FEES RECOVERY WILL BE 18%. NOW YOU ARE SAYING THAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE DOING THE SAME. SO MY QUESTION FOR THE GOVERNOR IS, WHAT OTHER STATISTICS AND RATIONALE YOU HAVE TO BACK UP YOUR DECISION TO RAISE IT TO 18%? YOU SAY THAT THERE ARE LOANS AND GRANTS IN ORDER TO HELP STUDENTS. IS THIS A GOOD WAY? BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO REPAY THE LOANS AFTER ALL, IF OUR FEES $10,000, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO GET A LOAN OF $10,000? THIS REALLY APPROPRIATE? THANK YOU.

IS

IS

/GOVERNOR:

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