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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. SALES: Sir, before the question is put, may I ask a question in clarification of the statement which you made when speaking earlier this afternoon?

You said in reading the Report of the Fire Services Department that failure to attract local people to certain grades in the Fire Services Depart- ment would mean wholesale recruitment of overseas officers to avoid the collapse of the Fire Services. The questions which must be uppermost in our minds, and I do not think we would call for an immediate reply but we would certainly like a reply in writing to the members of this Council, are simply:- What in-service training has been carried out with a view to promotion of officers in lower ranks? And secondly:- What measures have been taken by the Department to attract young men with the neces- sary academic qualifications to take up the Fire Services as a career?

These two questions ought to be answered if it is Government's intention to take the Council into its confidence over such an important

matter.

CHAIRMAN:-I will be glad to go into the matter for you.

MR. HU: I have one question, Mr. Chairman. Why is there such a problem of recruiting local personnel to the Fire Services? Is that because of the physical standard-they are not up to the physical con- dition or is there a lack of interest or some other reasons? Could you enlighten us in this respect?

CHAIRMAN: You are, I hope, rising on a point of clarification. It is not question time. (Laughter)

MR. HU:-I'm sorry-on a point of clarification, Mr. Chairman.

CHAIRMAN: I am afraid that I cannot clarify the point for you now, but I shall be glad to endeavour to do so later.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-With your permission, may I simply add one word to answer the observation made by Mr. FORSGATE? He said that the trend in England today is for more centralization of the control of Fire Services. I was trying to draw a parallel when framing this Motion between the Urban Council and the Greater London Council, G.L.C., not any small parish Council or any small urban Council in the United Kingdom. Under the 1963 Local Government Act or what- ever the name is, Fire Services specifically comes under the G.L.C., and I think this is the latest legislation there is in the United Kingdom, and I see no reason why we can't follow suit in Hong Kong.

MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I think Mr. FORSGATE was not talking about England but about Scotland, and he may be forgiven for his pride in the achievements of Scotland. (Laughter)

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MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I propose that the question be now put.

CHAIRMAN:-The motion before the Council is that "As Local Authorities are normally responsible for fire prevention services, Govern- ment is requested to put the operation of the Fire Services Department within the urban areas under the management of the Urban Council." The motion has been moved by Mr. H. CHEONG-LEEN and seconded by Mr. FUNG Hon-chu.

The question was put.

The motion was carried, with 14 votes for, 2 against and 7 absten- tions.

(2) Mr. H. CHEONG-LEEN moved the following motion:-

This Council endorses the recommendation as contained in Paragraph 51(xiii) of the Report of the Advisory Com- mittee on Gambling Policy:

"That more recreation grounds and other public amenities be provided for the healthy recreation of the public",

and urges closer co-operation between Government and this Council in the implementation of such recommenda- tion.

He said:-Mr. Chairman, in the Report of the Advisory Committee on Gambling Policy it is stated that adequate recreation facilities are not only desirable but essential for the ordinary man-in-the-street if he is not to resort to gambling for his amusement.

Despite the heroic efforts of the Urban Council and in particular the Urban Amenities Select Committee, we know it for a fact that there is still a lamentable shortage of recreation facilities for Hong Kong people. I have heard it said that for the common man there are only two major forms of recreation, going to the movies and gambling, legally or illegally. The Advisory Committee on Gambling has recommended that the provision of more recreation facilities for Hong Kong people is a possible measure to reduce illegal gambling. This is a recommenda- tion to which I believe the Urban Council will fully subscribe. We need more swimming pools in the urban areas, public squares in the Tsim Sha Tsui and Yau Ma Tei areas, another city hall in Kowloon, a waterfront promenade along Chatham Road, the introduction of bowling alleys, more poor men's night clubs, an oceanarium, a golf