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Urban Services Department has carried out a survey of the trees and the building in there." Could assurance be given that in whatever plan is made in future consideration is given to preserving the present trees as far as we can?
MR. SALES: Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Hu for having broached the subject. The Urban Council is very anxious to preserve as many of those trees as possible, because the survey revealed that they are among the finest trees that there are in the Colony, and so every step is being taken to preserve as many of them as possible. Unfortunately, some of the trees are not in the acreage that has been set aside by the Town Planning Board for development as open space in their first plan to which we objected. Now, in consequence of the fresh representations which we are making as we want the whole area, we are hopeful that most of those trees will be preserved.
MR. HU:-Thank you for that answer. Mr. Chairman, could I also ask you, as Chairman of the Urban Council, to convey our views to the Governor in Council that in future planning consideration be given to preserving trees as far as we can?
CHAIRMAN:-There are two answers to that, Mr. Hu. The first is that the Record of our proceedings is sent to the Colonial Secretary as soon as it is ready, so that it is a matter of course that he gets it. The second is, I believe, although I am not quite sure, that this matter of preserving trees has already been made known to the Colonial Secretary.
MR. HU:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
(9) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
Some time ago the Wong Tai Sin Kaifong Association requested the Commissioner for Resettlement to allocate a piece of land for the building of a market for the convenience of residents in the Wong Tai Sin district. Can the Commissioner for Resettlement advise what steps have been taken, or will be taken, to meet the request of the Association?
MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
In April this year the Commissioner for Resettlement said in reply to a question that the Kaifong Welfare Association had expressed their concern at the lack of a market in the Wong Tai Sin Estate, and that this would be considered by the Markets Select Committee at its next meeting. At its meeting in June the Markets Select Committee agreed on a list of items to be put forward for the Public Works Programme for 1968-69. In the course of this discussion it was agreed that Government should be asked to assume responsibility for the construction of a new market in the Wong Tai Sin Estate, and an appropriate item was therefore included in the Select Committee's recommendations. Members will appreciate that there are a number of other markets in the proposed programme to which priority may be given but, subject to funds being approved, every effort will be made to construct a new market at Wong Tai Sin as soon as possible.
REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HEALTH EDUCATION SELECT COMMITTEE.
DR. Woo:-Mr. Chairman, in accordance with the proviso to Part IV of the Resolution adopted by this Council at its meeting on the 4th April, 1967, I am reporting a change in the composition of the Health Education Select Committee. Mr. Henry Hu has, in view of the fact that there is no Reform Club Member on the Health Education Select Committee, requested to become a member of that particular Committee. His request has been approved by my Committee.
MOTION.
MR. A. de O. SALES moved the following motion:-
RESOLVED that this Council ask the government-
(a) to review its policy on open spaces and recreational amenities in order to expedite the implementation of existing plans for parks and the construction of sports facilities, and
(b) to consider a substantial increase in the annual block vote to enable the Council to carry out more secondary projects.
He said:-Sir, the time is right for this Council to ask the Government to expedite by all reasonable means the construction of more recreational facilities and the development of public open spaces in every urban district. The time is also right to ask the Government to increase our block vote which has proved so useful and effective an aid in enlarging the scope and extent of our amenity programmes.
Mr. Chairman, while we do not wish to make comparisons with other cities, although we ought to be guided by their standards, we are not even living up in earnest to the standards which we have set for ourselves. True, there are reports and feasibility studies by overseas experts, yet these documents mean little to the man in the street until they are translated into practice. Also, there are many professions of grave concern for the welfare of our youth, yet they ring hollow to
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Urban Services Department has carried out a survey of the trees and the building in there." Could assurance be given that in whatever plan is made in future consideration is given to preserving the present trees as far as we can?
MR. SALES: Sir, I am obliged to Mr. Hu for having broached the subject. The Urban Council is very anxious to preserve as many of those trees as possible, because the survey revealed that they are among the finest trees that there are in the Colony, and so every step is being taken to preserve as many of them as possible. Unfortunately, some of the trees are not in the acreage that has been set aside by the Town Planning Board for development as open space in their first plan to which we objected. Now, in consequence of the fresh representations which we are making as we want the whole area, we are hopeful that most of those trees will be preserved.
MR. HU:-Thank you for that answer. Mr. Chairman, could I also ask you, as Chairman of the Urban Council, to convey our views to the Governor in Council that in future planning consideration be given to preserving trees as far as we can?
CHAIRMAN:-There are two answers to that, Mr. Hu. The first is that the Record of our proceedings is sent to the Colonial Secretary as soon as it is ready, so that it is a matter of course that he gets it. The second is, I believe, although I am not quite sure, that this matter of preserving trees has already been made known to the Colonial Secretary.
MR. HU:-Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
(9) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:
Some time ago the Wong Tai Sin Kaifong Association requested the Commissioner for Resettlement to allocate a piece of land for the building of a market for the convenience of residents in the Wong Tai Sin district. Can the Commis- sioner for Resettlement advise what steps have been taken, or will be taken, to meet the request of the Association?
MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE MARKETS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows: -
In April this year the Commissioner for Resettlement said in reply to a question that the Kaifong Welfare Association had expressed their concern at the lack of a market in the Wong Tai Sin Estate, and that this would be considered by the Markets Select Committee at its next meeting. At its meeting in June the Markets Select Committee agreed on a list of items to be put forward for the Public Works
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
159
Programme for 1968-69. In the course of this discussion
it was agreed that Government should be asked to assume responsibility for the construction of a new market in the Wong Tai Sin Estate, and an appropriate item was there- fore included in the Select Committee's recommendations. Members will appreciate that there are a number of other markets in the proposed programme to which priority may be given but, subject to funds being approved, every effort will be made to construct a new market at Wong Tai Sin as soon as possible.
REPORT BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HEALTH EDUCATION SELECT COMMITTEE.
DR. Woo:-Mr. Chairman, in accordance with the proviso to Part IV of the Resolution adopted by this Council at its meeting on the 4th April, 1967, I am reporting a change in the composition of the Health Education Select Committee. Mr. Henry Hu has, in view of the fact that there is no Reform Club Member on the Health Education Select Committee, requested to become a member of that particular Committee. His request has been approved by my Committee.
MOTION.
MR. A. de O. SALES moved the following motion:-
RESOLVED that this Council ask the government-
(a) to review its policy on open spaces and recreational amenities in order to expedite the implementation of existing plans for parks and the construction of sports facilities, and
(b) to consider a substantial increase in the annual block vote to enable the Council to carry out more secondary projects.
He said:-Sir, the time is right for this Council to ask the Govern- ment to expedite by all reasonable means the construction of more recreational facilities and the development of public open spaces in every urban district. The time is also right to ask the Government to increase our block vote which has proved so useful and effective an aid in enlarging the scope and extent of our amenity programmes.
Mr. Chairman, while we do not wish to make comparisons with other cities, although we ought to be guided by their standards, we are not even living up in earnest to the standards which we have set for ourselves. True, there are reports and feasibility studies by overseas experts, yet these documents mean little to the man in the street until they are translated into practice. Also, there are many professions of grave concern for the welfare of our youth, yet they ring hollow to
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