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CHAIRMAN:-Sir, it has been pointed out to me that perhaps there is a misprint and the words should read: “excluding the New Territories except New Kowloon."
MR. SALES:-May I move this amendment-that the word "New" be introduced between "except" and "Kowloon"?
MR. WATSON:-I second that amendment.
The question was put.
The motion as amended was carried.
MR. A. de O. SALES, Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee, moved the following motion:
THAT the Victoria Park Swimming Pool (Amendment) By-laws, 1962, be made under section 42 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.
He said: Mr. Chairman, I propose the motion which stands in my name as Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee. I would like to reserve the comments which I have to make until this motion has been duly seconded and my colleagues have had an opportunity to speak either for or against the motion.
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, since MR. SALES has not committed himself either way, I beg to second this motion.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, this motion, which has been approved in principle by the Standing Committee of the Whole Council, is intended to enlarge the scope of the present legislation in order that provision may be made for the management and control of new swimming pools in the Colony of Hong Kong. It is my hope—and I am sure that my colleagues share that hope with me—that this effort on our part to provide for the future will not in fact remain a pious hope for many years to come.
I am seriously concerned with the great delay over the completion of the Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool which has been virtually paid for by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. The Jockey Club, with the utmost goodwill, is not likely to be encouraged to contribute to more swimming pools by the delay that has occurred in the construction and completion of the present project. It must be clear to all Urban Councillors that the delay is not of a technical nature. In fact, in all fairness, we believe that the delay is a matter of deliberate policy on the part of Government. We think that if economies are to be made by Government, such economies should be of a selective nature and not entirely without discrimination, because the project not only of the swimming pool but of the entire Kowloon Tsai park is evidently a most worthy one.
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There are thousands and thousands of children in Kowloon without adequate recreational facilities and there are hundreds of children who swim in the polluted waters of our harbour.
Many years ago, it was agreed by this Council that several swimming pools would be built in well-located areas in Hong Kong catering to the under-privileged groups of our population. It can be readily understood that there is a delay in the implementation of those projects, but I fear that this Council will find it hard to understand that a swimming pool, which has been paid for almost entirely, has been set back in an order of priority which has been established without our being consulted and without our having been able to exercise any control.
With these comments, Mr. Chairman—and I would like to repeat that I do not think that this delay is of a technical nature but one of policy, mainly financial—I would ask that you put forward this motion which has been proposed by me and seconded by Dr. LEE.
The question was put.
The motion was carried.
DR. R. H. S. LEE, Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, moved the following motion:
THAT the Laundries (Amendment) By-laws, 1962, be made under section 40 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.
He said: Mr. Chairman, the purpose of this motion is to amend the Laundries By-laws, so as to license and control laundry depots, hitherto considered as branch offices of main laundries already licensed for the purpose of receiving and despatching laundry—hence the very low registration fee of $5 to be paid once and for all. But it has been found that over 90% of these establishments are in fact independent depots operating with their own capital and having no connexions whatsoever with any particular laundry.
With these points in view, Mr. Chairman, the relevant by-laws are therefore amended to meet these circumstances.
On behalf of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, I beg to move.
MR. K. A. WATSON seconded.
The question was put.
The motion was carried.
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN:-Sir, it has been pointed out to me that perhaps there is a misprint and the words should read: “excluding the New Territories except New Kowloon."
MR. SALES: -May I move this amendment-that the word "New" be introduced between "except" and "Kowloon"?
MR. WATSON:-I second that amendment.
The question was put.
The motion as amended was carried.
MR. A. de O. SALES, Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee, moved the following motion :
THAT the Victoria Park Swimming Pool (Amendment) By- laws, 1962, be made under section 42 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.
He said: Mr. Chairman, I propose the motion which stands in my name as Chairman of the Urban Amenities Select Committee. I would like to reserve the comments which I have to make until this motion has been duly seconded and my colleagues have had an oppor- tunity to speak either for or against the motion.
DR. R. H. S. LEE:-Mr. Chairman, since Mr. SALES has not com- mitted himself either way, I beg to second this motion.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, this motion, which has been approved in principle by the Standing Committee of the Whole Council, is intend- ed to enlarge the scope of the present legislation in order that provision may be made for the management and control of new swimming pools in the Colony of Hong Kong. It is my hope—and I am sure that my colleagues share that hope with me--that this effort on our part to provide for the future will not in fact remain a pious hope for many years to come.
I am seriously concerned with the great delay over the completion of the Kowloon Tsai Swimming Pool which has been virtually paid for by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. The Jockey Club, with the utmost goodwill, is not likely to be encouraged to contribute for more swimming pools by the delay that has occurred in the construction and completion of the present project. It must be clear to all Urban Councillors that the delay is not of a technical nature. In fact, in all fairness, we believe that the delay is a matter of deliberate policy on the part of Government. We think that if economies are to be made by Government such economies should be of a selective nature and not entirely without dis- crimination, because the project not only of the swimming pool but of
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There
the entire Kowloon Tsai park is evidently a most worthy one. are thousands and thousands of children in Kowloon without adequate recreational facilities and there are hundreds of children who swim in the polluted waters of our harbour.
Many years ago, it was agreed by this Council that several swim- ming pools would be built in well-located areas in Hong Kong catering to the under-privileged groups of our population. It can be readily understood that there is a delay in the implementation of those projects, but I fear that this Council will find it hard to understand that a swimming pool, which has been paid for almost entirely, has been set back in an order of priority which has been established without our being consulted and without our having been able to exercise any control.
With these comments, Mr. Chairman-and I would like to repeat that I do not think that this delay is of a technical nature but one of policy, mainly financial-I would ask that you put forward this motion which has been proposed by me and seconded by Dr. LEE.
The question was put.
The motion was carried.
DR. R. H. S. LEE, Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, moved the following motion :-
THAT the Laundries (Amendment) By-laws, 1962, be made under section 40 of the Public Health and Urban Services Ordinance, 1960.
He said Mr. Chairman, the purpose of this motion is to amend the Laundries By-laws, so as to license and control laundry depots, hitherto considered as branch offices of main laundries already licensed for the purpose of receiving and despatching laundry-hence the very low registration fee of $5 to be paid once and for all. But it has been found that over 90% of these establishments are in fact independent depots operating with their own capital and having no connexions what- soever with any particular laundry.
With these points in view, Mr. Chairman, the relevant by-laws are therefore amended to meet these circumstances.
On behalf of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, I beg
to move.
MR. K. A. WATSON seconded.
The question was put.
The motion was carried.
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