HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL · 2nd October 1969.
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Council is not there to compete with the departments or with any national or private body. It is not there to interfere but to co-ordinate and co-operate, and in this capacity it has been extraordinarily success- ful and warmly welcomed by all concerned. The other Council is the Sports Council, set up in 1965. Its terms of reference are to advise Government on matters relating to the development of sport and physical recreation and to foster co-operation among the statutory authorities and voluntary organizations concerned, and its function is to speed the pace of development of facilities and to ensure that provi- sion for sport and recreation takes its proper place among the respon- sibilities of government.
I believe that we need to set up organizations of this kind in Hong Kong. Among many things they would be of untold value in giving help to all bodies, groups and clubs that strive and have been striving for many years to promote interest in sport and recreation here at home.
Sir, in supporting today's motion, I wish to add a special note of endorsement to Your Excellency's commendation* on the soundness of character of our young people so well exemplified by their zeal and enthusiam not only in their taking up the opportunity that they have been provided this summer for recreation but also in their contribution to the welfare of others.
I wish also to give my warmest support without any qualification to your words of wisdom on the undesirability of centralization of direction or of any measure of regimentation of our young people and their activities. How very true it is, as you have said, that while some degree of co-ordination is undoubtedly necessary, it is important and very important indeed that we should foster and encourage separate and differently sponsored activities so that young people can themselves choose from the widest possible variety of recreational pursuits, and sponsors can have liberty to work out their individual ideas.
MR H. J. C. BROWNE:-Sir, though we live on exports and tourism cumulative increases in the region of 25% per annum rather worry me, and I must say I feel happier with a steadier increase of around 15% p.a. We can already see some of the results of this overheating of our economy. A shortage of skilled and unskilled labour: higher prices: higher wages: and rents and some inflation. Other Governments try and control overheating in various ways-credit squeezes: direction of trade: quotas duties and restrictions of various sorts. The Japanese for example have developed industrially under strict monetary and government controls and with much restriction on foreign investment
* Page 7.
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