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ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before we start on the agenda to-day, I would like to welcome Mr. McDOUALL back on his return from leave, and I feel sure that Members would wish me to express to Mr. SEDGWICK, who acted while Mr. McDOUALL was away, our appreciation for his services and help to the Council.
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 3rd April, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of April 1962.
(2) Urban Council and Urban Services Department Statistical Report for the period 1st January, 1962, to 31st March, 1962.
(3) Report by the Commissioner for Resettlement on the progress of clearance and resettlement operations during the period 1st January, 1962, to 31st March, 1962.
QUESTIONS.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:
(a) Will the Chairman please advise how many hours on the average per month was the existing wired television service used during the past 12 months to promote health education?
(b) Are any steps being taken by the Urban Services Department to make greater use of the existing wired television service to promote health education?
(c) Did the Urban Services Department make any representations on the role of health education through the medium of television to the Working Party which recently completed its report on the setting up of a new television station in Hong Kong?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:
The answer to the first part of the question is that television was used, free of charge, for one period of 15 minutes on 23rd November, 1961, when four finalists in the 1961 Oratorical Contest delivered their speeches.
The answer to the second and third parts of the question is in the negative.
Members will recollect that this matter was the subject of a question by Mr. Li Yiu-bor at the Council meeting held on 3rd November, 1959. The reply said that the matter had been carefully considered by the Health Education Select Committee in June of that year.
The proposal was not proceeded with at that time primarily because of the small number of television sets in use and the high cost of renting them. This placed the audience in an income group for which it was felt that health education was less necessary.
The position has changed to some extent since then. The cost of renting a set is the same but the number of sets in use has grown from 3,000 in 1959 to 12,000 now; with a possible 5 viewers a set, this gives an audience of about 60,000. The rates for advertising on television are, however, high; charges are on a sliding scale but one minute's advertising costs $180. This expenditure would be worthwhile if we were assured that our health education propaganda would reach those sections of the population where it would be of the most benefit. My own view is that the money would be better spent on media directed primarily to the lower income groups.
However, if you wish Sir, I will refer the matter again to the Health Education Select Committee for consideration.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, I promise that I will not ask any supplementaries on the questions following, but I would like to ask a couple of supplementaries in regard to this particular question. First of all, may I ask the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services whether his department had at any time been aware that there was a Working Party set up by a Government department to study the question of setting up a new television station in Hong Kong?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:— Mr. Chairman, as far as I am aware, No.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask you, as head of the Urban Services Department, whether you were aware of this Working Party?
CHAIRMAN:- Sir, I regret that I consider your question to be out of order, as you are introducing a new matter.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 39 of 150
63
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before we start on the agenda to-day, I would like to welcome Mr. McDOUALL back on his return from leave, and I feel sure that Members would wish me to express to Mr. SEDGWICK, who acted while Mr. McDOUALL was away, our appreciation for his services and help to the Council.
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 3rd April, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPERS.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following papers:·
(1) Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban
Services Department for the month of April 1962.
(2) Urban Council and Urban Services Department Statistical Report for the period 1st January, 1962, to 31st March, 1962.
(3) Report by the Commissioner for Resettlement on the progress of clearance and resettlement operations during the period 1st January, 1962, to 31st March, 1962.
QUESTIONS.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
(a) Will the Chairman please advise how many hours on the average per month was the existing wired television service used during the past 12 months to promote health education?
(b) Are any steps being taken by the Urban Services Depart- ment to make greater use of the existing wired television service to promote health education?
(c) Did the Urban Services Department make any representa- tions on the role of health education through the medium of television to the Working Party which recently com- pleted its report on the setting up of a new television station in Hong Kong?
THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES replied as follows:-
The answer to the first part of the question is that television was used, free of charge, for one period of 15 minutes on 23rd November, 1961, when four finalists in the 1961 Oratorical Contest delivered their speeches.
The answer to the second and third parts of the question is in
the negative.
Members will recollect that this matter was the subject of a question by Mr. Li Yiu-bor at the Council meeting held on 3rd November, 1959. The reply said that the matter had been carefully considered by the Health Education Select Committee in June of that year.
The proposal was not proceeded with at that time primarily because of the small number of television sets in use and the high cost of renting them. This placed the audience in an income group for which it was felt that health education was less necessary.
The position has changed to some extent since then. The cost of renting a set is the same but the number of sets in use has grown from 3,000 in 1959 to 12,000 now; with a possible 5 viewers a set, this gives an audience of about 60,000. The rates for advertising on television are, how- ever, high; charges are on a sliding scale but one minute's advertising costs $180. This expenditure would be worth- while if we were assured that our health education propaganda would reach those sections of the population where it would be of the most benefit. My own view is that the money would be better spent on media directed primarily to the lower income groups.
However, if you wish Sir, I will refer the matter again to the
Health Education Select Committee for consideration.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, I promise that I will not ask any supplementaries on the questions following, but I would like to ask a couple of supplementaries in regard to this particular question. First of all, may I ask the Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services whether his department had at any time been aware that there was a Working Party set up by a Government department to study the question of setting up a new television station in Hong Kong?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES:—Mr. Chairman, as far as I am aware, No.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask you, as head of the Urban Services Department, whether you were aware of this Working Party?
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, I regret that I consider your question to be out of order, as you are introducing a new matter.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.