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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Television is handled by a staff which is one hundred per cent local. But the Director recognizes that this in itself does not guarantee adequate communication, and recent events have made it even more imperative to break through the barriers of ideas as well as of language. This will depend not so much on organizational or personnel changes as on a sure and steady increase in day to day contact with Chinese newspaper editors and their staffs. This the Director has already begun to do, with encouraging results which ought to establish a sound basis of confidence.

The Director of Information Services adds that the problem of communication is a two-way problem. As well as communicating in- formation his department needs to know what people are asking. Urban Councillors are in a unique position to help the Information Services by direct informal contact. Some Councillors do this already, but the Director asks me to convey a positive invitation to any Councillor at any time to help the department make its service more effective and helpful to the public by approaching him or any of his officers directly with information or advice.

May I in conclusion refer to the kind remarks made by some members concerning the staff of the Urban Services Department or Government service in general. These are much appreciated. But this Council also has in the past twelve months acted in such a way as to deserve, in its turn, a word of praise from me. Apart from the prompt statement of support for the Government which the unofficial members issued at the commencement of the civil disturbances, the Council has, in my opinion, made progress in efficiency. Its name was never in doubt for enthusiasm and hard work. But now it seems to me that it is working more and more to good purpose. Let us keep it up, for this is the way to gain wider responsibilities. (Applause).

MR. LI YIU-BOR: -Mr. Chairman, if I should exceed my time limit, I hope Mr. SALES will move a motion in my favour. (Laughter).

Today, and I hope only today, I am afraid I have a split personality. One part of myself belongs to myself, and the other to the majority of my Unofficial colleagues.

Before I begin, Mr. Chairman, I think I should, like articles of association of an incorporation, give a few definitions: when I speak in the first person singular, I speak for myself; but when I use the first person plural, I express, I hope, the majority views of my Unofficial colleagues, particularly those on the other side of this table. (Laughter).

It would not be possible for me, owing to the time factor, to express all individual views of my Unofficial colleagues, but I shall try to express

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the majority views as far as they are known to me, and then afterwards I may deal with some of the personal views of individual members.

In exercising my right of reply, I must begin by thanking you, Sir, and the other Official Members for the answers they have given to the points raised by my Unofficial colleagues concerning the work of their Departments. They have all spoken with sincerity and frankness and a spirit of co-operation, and this augurs well for the future of this Council. We might not agree with their answers, and this is as it should be, because as Officials of Government, they are of necessity restricted by General Orders. I am therefore happy to accept their answers in good faith.

It would be presumptuous on my part to try to reply to the replies of my Official colleagues as my views do not necessarily reflect those of my Unofficial colleagues, or even those of my colleagues in the Civic Association, and it would be even more presumptuous of me to com- ment on the remarks of my Unofficial colleagues. What I would do is to summarize, as far as possible, important issues raised by my col- leagues on both sides of the table.

The matters raised by Members cover a very wide range of subjects. These include education, medical services, labour legislation, the civil service, local government reform, translation, auxiliary services, devalua- tion, revisionism, cycling parks, an indoor stadium, youth problems, an Ombudsman, a neutral state for Hong Kong, a civic centre for Kowloon, One must also not forget Mr. FORSGATE's pornography and rats as well as Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's durian fruit!

etc.

These subjects have caused certain quarters to term our speeches as "Words, words and words." As far as I am concerned, Mr. Chair- man, I believe that we are here to perform a public function, and when we make use of the Annual Conventional Debate to offer suggestions to Government in good faith and without malice I think we are not over-stepping the bounds of propriety. Our remarks may well be ignored and criticized, but I cannot agree that we are wasting the time of the public, or that we talk only because we enjoy listening to our own voices. However, people are entitled to their opinion and one must be charitable, especially at this season of festivities.

First, Mr. Chairman, may I suggest that the proposed block vote for general amenities, that is $5,000,000.00, about which Mr. SALES is particularly keen, should not be reduced if the Amenities Division of your Department and the Public Works Department are of the opinion that they can complete the major projects included in the block vote for 1968/69. Since the problem of youth is receiving so much attention at the moment, this aspect-the recreational aspect-of youth activities should not be lost sight of.

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