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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I now quote one example to show how, regrettably, lack of liaison or lack of appreciation of such liaison does in fact exist.

During this year, it was known that a number of experts were invited from U.K. to investigate and make recommendations on sports and recreational facilities for our youths. Of course, there is no objec- tion to such an invitation, but why was this Council left entirely out of the picture?

And to make matters worse, the findings of these experts have not, up-to-date, been made available to our Amenity Select Committee, despite repeated requests made by the committee. We have to learn from various other sources that there are now at least three reports concerning amenities-The Gill, Daniel and Talbert Reports, which are at present hidden somewhere in some Government Departments. It would appear that the consensus of opinion of these Government Departments is that the Urban Councillors should be the last to benefit from the contents of these reports.

I rather suspect also that government feels it is necessary for them to study these reports in details to make sure for themselves that not a single word would appear in these reports which would go contrary to their ways of thinking before they deem it fit to have the reports dis- closed to council members.

Can government expect members of this council to give sound advice and at the same time refuse them access to these reports?

Surely the government must realize that they and this council are working for the same ultimate aim to develop and provide adequate amenities for the people of Hong Kong. Does it not stand to reason, therefore, for government to adopt a more co-operative attitude?

What has government got to fear by exposing these reports to this council or to even the public at the earliest opportunity? Councillors may at times sound unkind in criticizing government policies, but let the government rest assured they are not just trying to pick faults, but are indeed sincere in their intentions to offer constructive suggestions for the good of the community.

II. On the staff of the Amenities Division, I would recall that I attempted on two other previous debates to advocate for an improve- ment of the inadequate situation. I support very heartily therefore the aims as expressed "to improve and augment the staff of the amenity division with the view to ensuring its adequacy, in number and in quality, for the speedy and efficient implementation of the council's policy". Indeed we have made a striking progress this year in this respect. The post of Principal Amenity Officer was created to replace that of a Superintendent of Gardens earlier this year, followed up with six new posts of District Supervisors.

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I congratulate the department for having taken another step in the right direction, in its re-organization resulting in, separating amenities from the general service, so that there is now an assistant director for amenities and an assistant director for general service. Such an im- provement in the staff establishment means indeed, as I have said, a striking progress has been made.

But, in view of the tremendous amount of day-to-day routine work, of the heavy burdens involved in the management and the supervision of duties in our existing amenities and, lastly, of the large number of new projects awaiting to be developed, I still feel that an even more realistic step has yet to be taken to ensure that this division will have an adequate staff to cope with its ever-increasing tasks.

I would go further to suggest the creation of yet another new division in this department to be headed also by an assistant director whose work should cover the management of City Hall, the develop- ment of public libraries, museums and art galleries and a host of many other cultural and recreational facilities. I would also suggest that this new post can and should be well filled by our present manager of City Hall who at present has proved his superb skill not only by his success in the management of the City Hall, but also by his con- tribution, in no small measure, to the promotion of many of the activi- ties mentioned above.

In view of our aims to provide facilities for indoor recreations in the form of a central indoor multi-purpose stadium and a number of medium-sized stadia and other similar establishment, such a new divi- sion may well be most fit to undertake this task, and will certainly ensure speedier progress in this field of development and indirectly These activities will enlighten the work of the Amenity Division. certainly, and must increase very rapidly and that is what makes me feel the department should consider seriously the creation such a new division.

III. This brings me now to a new section in our statement of aims and objectives under the heading of stadia which is to press for a This new section is an provision of facilities for indoor recreation. answer to a long felt-need, and with its institution, a new chapter is opened in our record to provide adequate amenities for the people of Hong Kong.

It can be said that during the last decade, our efforts have been concentrated on the provision of more and more parks and playgrounds for public recreational facilities and we may say now that if all our projected programmes are successfully carried out, an ever-increasing flow of such facilities may be forthcoming.