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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Was the Commissioner for Resettlement aware, Mr. Chairman, prior to the putting of this question, that between the 1st January and the end of November that there were as many as 741 complaints of offences by persons under the age of 21 which were lodged at police stations which are in or near resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was not so aware.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Now isn't that an anomaly Mr. Chairman, that the Resettlement Department during all this period had received only a very few complaints, whereas a large number amounting to 741 cases were reported direct to the police stations. Does that in any way suggest that the Resettlement Department is a little out of touch with the anxiety of residents in the estates on this particular subject?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's suggestion in his question is that many residents in the estates were gravely concerned at teddy boy activity leading to molestation of young girls living in the estates, and juvenile gang fights with knives and bicycle chains. As I pointed out there were not 741 of this nature. There were, in fact, one gang fight and ten alleged cases of indecent assault. These may or may not have taken place in the resettlement estates.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does the Commissioner for Resettlement mean that none of these cases of gang fights at all took place in resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I am not saying so, I said these may or may not have taken place in resettlement estates.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: I can assure him that they did, because it has been reported several times in the Chinese newspapers that these gang fights did take place in resettlement estates, and I am rather surprised that the Resettlement Department has not been aware of it Mr. Chairman.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-On a question of fact, I must correct Mr. CHEONG-LEEN again. I insist he does not use this expression, "these gang fights" in the plural; there was one.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, then if there was at least one, how could the Commissioner say none of these gang fights may or may not have occurred in the resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was referring to the gang fights and indecent assaults together.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-In other words, then, in the report which has been put forward by the police, at least there were ten cases of alleged indecent assault. Now, is the Commissioner aware whether or not these took place within the resettlement estates or outside the resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Of that I am not aware.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-But the fact that he did give this figure does suggest that they could have taken place within the resettlement estates. Am I correct in that assumption Mr. Chairman?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Certainly.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a personal statement, that by and large, the teenagers in Hong Kong are better behaved than in most other parts of the world.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I support Mr. BERNACCHI'S statement.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-We are not concerned with other parts of the world. We are only concerned with teenagers in our resettlement estates. If we speak about teenagers outside our resettlement estates we are speaking beyond the scope of this Council. (Laughter). May I proceed with my supplementary, Mr. Chairman? The Commissioner for Resettlement states in the last paragraph of his reply that there are six libraries. Now, are these libraries for children, or are they for adults as well? And has the department been taking active steps to ensure that there is at least a library, no matter how small, in each of our resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-On the first part of that question, as to whether they are for children and adults as well, I would need to check and would be glad to inform Mr. CHEONG-LEEN later. As regards the question of whether active steps have been taken to ensure that there is at least one library in every estate, I am sure all these concerned would be very glad to see as many libraries as possible in the estates, but I do suggest sometimes, where the estates are close together, it might be rather—I wouldn't say waste—but a mis-use of resources to put too many libraries close together, when there are still other places without them.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I for one think there really is a great need in areas outside the estates, but we can only speak about the needs in the estates at Urban Council meetings. I for one feel that these libraries are not sufficient and I would hope that the Commissioner for Resettlement will look into it.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-In reply to that Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, I would like to point out there are over three million people in
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Was the Commissioner for Resettlement aware, Mr. Chairman, prior to the putting of this question, that between the 1st January and the end of November that there were as many as 741 complaints of offences by persons under the age of 21 which were lodged at police stations which are in or near resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was not so aware.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Now isn't that an anomaly Mr. Chairman, that the Resettlement Department during all this period had received only a very few complaints, whereas a large number amounting to 741 cases were reported direct to the police stations. Does that in any way suggest that the Resettlement Department is a little out of touch with the anxiety of residents in the estates on this particular subject?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's suggestion in his question is that many residents in the estates were gravely con- cerned at teddy boy activity leading to molestation of young girls living in the estates, and juvenile gang fights with knives and bicycle chains. As I pointed out there were not 741 of this nature. There were, in fact, one gang fight and ten alleged cases of indecent assault. These may or may not have taken place in the resettlement estates.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does the Commissioner for Resettlement mean that none of these cases of gang fights at all took place in reset- tlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I am not saying so, I said these may or may not have taken place in resettlement estates.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN: I can assure him that they did, because it has been reported several times in the Chinese newspapers that these gang fights did take place in resettlement estates, and I am rather surprised that the Resettlement Department has not been aware of it Mr. Chairman.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-On a question of fact, I must correct Mr. CHEONG-LEEN again. I insist he does not use this expression, "these gang fights" in the plural; there was one.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, then if there was at least one, how could the Commissioner say none of these gang fights may or may not have occurred in the resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I was referring to the gang fights and indecent assaults together.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-In other words, then, in the report which has been put forward by the police, at least there were ten cases of alleged indecent assault. Now, is the Commissioner aware whether or not
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
557
these took place within the resettlement estates or outside the resettlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Of that I am not aware.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-But the fact that he did give this figure does suggest that they could have taken place within the resettlement estates. Am I correct in that assumption Mr. Chairman?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Certainly.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Thank you.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a personal statement, that by and large, the teenagers in Hong Kong are better behaved than in most other parts of the world.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-I support Mr. BERNACCHI'S
statement.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-We are not concerned with other parts of the world. We are only concerned with teenagers in our resettlement estates. If we speak about teenagers outside our resettlement estates we are speaking beyond the scope of this Council. (Laughter). May I proceed with my supplementary, Mr. Chairman? The Commissioner for Resettlement states in the last paragraph of his reply that there are six libraries. Now, are these libraries for children, or are they for adults as well? And has the department been taking active steps to ensure that there is at least a library, no matter how small, in each of our reset- tlement estates?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-On the first part of that question, as to whether they are for children and adults as well, I would need to check and would be glad to inform Mr. CHEONG-LEEN later. As regards the question of whether active steps have been taken to ensure that there is at least one library in every estate, I am sure all these con- cerned would be very glad to see as many libraries as possible in the estates, but I do suggest sometimes, where the estates are close together, it might be rather-I wouldn't say waste-but a mis-use of resources to put too many libraries close together, when there are still other places without them.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I for one think there really is a great need in areas outside the estates, but we can only speak about the needs in the estates at Urban Council meetings. I for one feel that these libraries are not sufficient and I would hope that the Commissioner for Reset- tlement will look into it.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-In reply to that Mr. CHEONG- LEEN, I would like to point out there are over three million people in
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