1964 — Page 28

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN:--I require notice of your question, Sir. I am prepared to go into it and will give you an answer later.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN: Mr. Chairman, may I ask you in your capacity as Director of Urban Services whether your Department is prepared and would be prepared at all times to receive advice from the Urban Amenities Select Committee at any of their meetings on matters concerning parks and playgrounds in the New Territories?

areas.

CHAIRMAN:-The answer, Sir, is "No".

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask why not?

CHAIRMAN:----Because the New Territories are not part of the urban

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask whether to your recollection at any time in the past any question concerning parks and playgrounds in the New Territories has been raised at any meeting of the Urban Amenities Select Committee during your term of office?

CHAIRMAN: -I have no immediate recollection of such a matter being raised, Sir.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Could a search be made into the records, Sir?

CHAIRMAN:--Gladly.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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CHAIRMAN:-I will do so, Sir.

MR. SALES-Thank you.

MR. CHEUNG WING-IN asked the following question :-

Will the Chairman, Urban Council please state whether the City Hall Manager has considered the desirability of opening the Library up to 10 p.m. in the evening to enable members of the public to make fuller use of the City Hall Library facilities?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

A survey was conducted in the period January to May 1963 to discover the number of people using the Library at different hours. The result showed that usage decreased rapidly after 7 p.m. Although the total number of people using the Library has greatly increased, there is no reason to suppose that the pattern of use has altered.

There is no doubt that if the Library were kept open until 10 p.m. this would be a convenience to some persons, but it must be weighed against the need for additional staff and the cost of air conditioning and lighting.

I propose, however, to refer this matter to the appropriate

Select Committee for further consideration.

MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-

Will you also tell this Council whether you have advised Government that this Council is very much interested in preserving beauty spots in the New Territories and in creating nature reserves by legislation?

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows: —

No, Sir, I have not, but I think I can safely say that Government is well aware of the views of responsible opinion on this matter, including your own.

MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for your reply. In conveying our views to Government, would you kindly also ask Government if we might offer an opinion as to location, size and layout of such nature reserves and other recreational amenities in the New Territories?

MOTION.

THE CHAIRMAN moved the following motion :-

RESOLVED-

(i) Under section 59 of the Urban Council Ordinance, 1955 that the persons whose names are set out in the first column of the attached Schedule shall be the Members of the Select Committees detailed for the period up to the commencement of the first meeting of the Urban Council in April 1965 except that Mr. B. A. BERNACCHI, Mr. Li Yiu-bor, Dr. P. F. Woo and Mr. H. CHEONG-LEEN whose respective terms of office as elected members expire on 31st March, 1965 shall be Members of the relevant Select Committees until that date.

(ii) Under Standing Order 22(6) that the Chairman of each Select Committee shall be as set out in the first

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