1960 — Page 57

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

At your request this question was discussed in the Urban Amenities Select Committee on 22nd January, though strictly speaking the allocation of land is no concern of the Council. Members of the Select Committee sympathized with the Headmistress' anxiety for the proper protection, welfare and health of her girls and agreed that the area north of Oaklands Path would not be required for West End Park. The Superintendent of Crown Lands and Surveys has been advised to this effect.

The question of the disposal of this area, i.e. the area north of Oaklands Path amounting to about 37,500 sq. ft. is entirely out of the hands of the Council and will no doubt be decided by discussion between the School Council and the Public Works Department."

DR. BELL: May I ask some supplementary questions, Mr. Chairman. Is it not a fact that during the day over a thousand pupils from St. Stephen's Girls' School are in fact using that playground, not just 60 as you suggest.

CHAIRMAN: I am afraid I cannot answer that question. It seems reasonable; I imagine, that there are about a thousand girls in the School and that is the only playground which they have.

DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, is it not a fact that the Director of Public Works is a member of the Urban Amenities Select Committee and is it a fact that he was a party to the decision regarding this park?

CHAIRMAN: It was not exactly a decision of the Urban Amenities Select Committee as they were not empowered to decide a question of the allocation of land.

DR. BELL: May I use the word "recommendation". If they (the Urban Amenities Select Committee) were offered this area as a park ground, they said that on certain conditions they would not want it; was the Director of Public Works a party to that decision, namely, that on certain terms and conditions it should be retained by the School?

CHAIRMAN: He was certainly aware of that recommendation. I cannot speak on behalf of the Director of Public Works. He is not in the Colony at the moment and I don't think it right and proper for me to quote his opinion.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MOTION.

99

Resumption of the following motion by Chairman, Urban Council:

"Resolved that the Standing Orders of this Council adopted at the meeting of the Council held on 28th June, 1955 be amended as follows:

Standing Order No.

Proviso to Standing Order 6(5).

Present Wording

Provided that the Member providing laying a

Amended Wording

the laying

on paper or report (a) that before the Council may address the Council in explanation of the paper or report, without having given notice of motion, but in that event there shall be no further debate.

on the table of the monthly report of the work of the Council a Chairman of a Select Committee may address the Council in explanation of the report in respect to the work of his Select Committee, and (b) that a Member laying a

paper or report before the Council may address the Council in explanation of the paper or report.

In either event the Member's address to the Council shall be limited to a duration of five minutes unless the Chairman shall grant permission for this limit to be exceeded. A Member of a Select Committee, if he is not in agreement with the speech of the Chairman of the Select Committee, shall be permitted to disassociate himself from the remarks

of the Chairman, but shall confine himself to so stating. The address of a Member in either event under this proviso shall not be made the pretext for a debate."

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