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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SALES: I respect your position, Sir. It is most unfortunate that you are both Chairman of the Urban Council and Director of the Urban Services Department.
(6) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
Has a decision been taken by the Government as to the use to which the former Service land at Causeway Bay will be put? If not, will you please make a fresh application for it to be reserved as an extension to Victoria Park?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
I regret that I am unable at present to add anything to the answer to a similar question asked by you, Sir, in September, 1965.
The Sports Ground on the south side of Causeway Road, which was at one time allocated to the Royal Navy, is now controlled by the Education Department and is, I am informed, fully utilized by many schools, associations and clubs.
Policy on private recreational grounds is under review, and until a new policy has been agreed it is not intended to disturb the present arrangements.
The latest application which I made for transfer of this land opposite Victoria Park to the Urban Council is dated 14th August this year. I think I can fairly say that the Council's interest in this site is fully appreciated, and that our interest will be given full weight when the future permanent use of the site is considered.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the fresh representations which you have made. In regard to the fourth paragraph of your answer, am I right in believing that the particular piece of land at Causeway Bay is not included in the list of private recreational grounds being considered by the Special Committee created by the Government?
CHAIRMAN: This is correct, Sir.
MR. SALES: So, how does it come under the purview of that Committee in respect to policy?
CHAIRMAN: I think there must be a distinct connexion between the two.
MR. SALES: Sir, as a member of that particular Committee, I am not aware of any connexion, so I think that the answer you gave me in the third paragraph is not a statement of fact, and I should like it to be noted as my opinion that it is not so.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(7) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
253
Is the area adjoining Kowloon Hospital, along Argyle Street and Lomond Road, to be made available for recreational use when released by the Services? If so, when is it likely to be released?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
As the area to which reference is made is still being fully used by the Services, the question of its release and of alternative future use has not arisen.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I believe this question has been put before, if not in a public meeting, in a private meeting, and I understand that your department has undertaken to look into this matter. If you are not in a position to give us a full answer to-day, would you kindly do so to the Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN: What you have just said surprises me, Sir. When I received your question it was the first intimation I had that this piece of land to the east of Kowloon Hospital had aroused the Council's interest. The answer which I have delivered to-day is one which was drafted for me in the Colonial Secretariat, and I cannot vary it in any way.
MR. SALES: I am very sorry to hear that, but I am glad that you are frank enough to disclose that the Colonial Secretariat drafted this answer. I would like to suggest that the matter which was raised by me should be given further consideration by your department and a satisfactory answer, not drafted by the Colonial Secretariat, be presented to the Urban Council in due course.
CHAIRMAN: I think it is necessary for me to go into this matter a little more carefully. Where does the Council's interest lie? It lies in the management and control of public pleasure grounds. We are given these powers under Part X of the Public Health & Urban Services Ordinance. The first section of that Part is No. 106, and it says that the Governor may allocate pieces of land to be set aside as public pleasure grounds. The public pleasure grounds having been set aside, we have then at least a half-interest in the matter, because we want to develop them. They are developed for the Council by the Public Works Department and when they are complete they are handed over to us for management and control, so that is the position as regards our rights in the matter. Of course, one doesn't work in watertight compartments. If one is going to be managing a piece of land one gets an interest in whether one is going to acquire a piece of land, but this explanation will, I hope, serve to show why questions on land have to be answered by officers who deal with land in the Secretariat and not by me.
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f 259
Page 139 of 259
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SALES: I respect your position, Sir. It is most unfortunate that you are both Chairman of the Urban Council and Director of the Urban Services Department.
(6) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:
Has a decision been taken by the Government as to the use to which the former Service land at Causeway Bay will be put? If not, will you please make a fresh application for it to be reserved as an extension to Victoria Park?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
I regret that I am unable at present to add anything to the answer to a similar question asked by you, Sir, in Septem- ber, 1965.
The Sports Ground on the south side of Causeway Road, which was at one time allocated to the Royal Navy, is now controlled by the Education Department and is, I am informed, fully utilized by many schools, associations and clubs.
Policy on private recreational grounds is under review, and until a new policy has been agreed it is not intended to disturb the present arrangements.
The latest application which I made for transfer of this land opposite Victoria Park to the Urban Council is dated 14th August this year. I think I can fairly say that the Council's interest in this site is fully appreciated, and that our interest will be given full weight when the future permanent use of the site is considered.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the fresh representa- tions which you have made. In regard to the fourth paragraph of your answer, am I right in believing that the particular piece of land at Causeway Bay is not included in the list of private recreational grounds being considered by the Special Committee created by the Government?
CHAIRMAN:-This is correct, Sir.
MR. SALES-So, how does it come under the purview of that Committee in respect to policy?
CHAIRMAN: I think there must be a distinct connexion between the two.
MR. SALES: -Sir, as a member of that particular Committee, I am not aware of any connexion, so I think that the answer you gave me in the third paragraph is not a statement of fact, and I should like it to be noted as my opinion that it is not so.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(7) MR. A. de O. SALES asked the following question:-
253
Is the area adjoining Kowloon Hospital, along Argyle Street and Lomond Road, to be made available for recreational use when released by the Services? If so, when is it likely to be released?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
As the area to which reference is made is still being fully used by the Services, the question of its release and of alter- native future use has not arisen.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I believe this question has been put before, if not in a public meeting, in a private meeting, and I under- stand that your department has undertaken to look into this matter. If you are not in a position to give us a full answer to-day, would you kindly do so to the Select Committee?
CHAIRMAN: ---What you have just said surprises me, Sir. When I received your question it was the first intimation I had that this piece of land to the east of Kowloon Hospital had aroused the Council's interest. The answer which I have delivered to-day is one which was drafted for me in the Colonial Secretariat, and I cannot vary it in any
way.
MR. SALES: --I am very sorry to hear that, but I am glad that you are frank enough to disclose that the Colonial Secretariat drafted this answer. I would like to suggest that the matter which was raised by me should be given further consideration by your department and a satisfactory answer, not drafted by the Colonial Secretariat, be presented to the Urban Council in due course.
CHAIRMAN:-I think it is necessary for me to go into this matter a little more carefully. Where does the Council's interest lie? It lies in the management and control of public pleasure grounds. We are given these powers under Part X of the Public Health & Urban Services Ordinance. The first section of that Part is No. 106, and it says that the Governor may allocate pieces of land to be set aside as public pleasure grounds. The public pleasure grounds having been set aside, we have then at least a half-interest in the matter, because we want to develop them. They are developed for the Council by the Public Works Department and when they are complete they are handed over to us for management and control, so that is the position as regards our rights in the matter. Of course, one doesn't work in watertight compartments. If one is going to be managing a piece of land one gets an interest in whether one is going to acquire a piece of land, but this explanation will, I hope, serve to show why questions on land have to be answered by officers who deal with land in the Secretariat and not by me.
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