1968 — Page 84

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 84 of 243

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

to swimming that I have raised this question. I was wondering whether Mr. SALES, as Chairman of the committee, could review this whole subject again in committee and see whether an approach ought to be made to Government to state specifically in regard to Government providing a first-class swimming instructor of international standard.

MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to do that. As Mr. CHEONG-LEEN knows the question comes better from him than from me. Being the President of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association it could appear that I favour swimming over other sports but that is not so. However, because of the vast development in the coming years of swimming pool complexes, the problem has not escaped the attention of my committee, and at Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's instigation, not mine, we will certainly press for swimming coaches over and above perhaps coaches for other sports. As regards an international swimming instructor, I personally, in another capacity, am already well advanced in negotiation for the engagement of just such an expert and this would not be the first time that I have over the years tried to engage a swimming coach of international standing for Hong Kong, this has been done time and again but we have not succeeded for lack of monetary support.

DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could I ask a supplementary question? In considering this question of having a first-class international swimming coach in Hong Kong I hope that this will not preclude coaches for the ordinary school children using regularly the pools that we have and will have in future.

MR. SALES: Sir, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's reference is to a first-class swimming coach of international standing and I have replied accordingly. Of course, of the time that the man will be spending in Hong Kong so much will be during the day time that it is my hope that much of it will be spent with school children through the Hong Kong Schools Sports Association with which I work very closely. As Members of this Council may be aware, I have convened two meetings of interested parties in youth activities in the last two months, including representatives of this particular association as well as the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association, to plan for the proper use of our swimming pools next year as much in advance as possible. In point of fact it is not our thinking that the time and effort of this particular expert would be devoted exclusively to swimmers of great competitive promise but more particularly to as great a number of young people as possible.

(5) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:

Could the Chairman inform the Council whether those families which were badly affected by the landslide caused by recent heavy rain at Ma Shan, Tai Hang and Aberdeen areas could be directly resettled into the Resettlement Estate instead of being given a resite space in order to avoid any future danger which may come to them again?

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:

In accordance with approved policy, squatters affected by natural disasters are not eligible for direct resettlement unless the family's breadwinner has died or has been admitted to hospital.

This policy has been re-examined from time to time, the last occasion being in January this year. As I understand from the wording of the question that Mr. Hu would like it to be reconsidered once again, I should add that a paper has been prepared for the Policy Select Committee covering this and allied questions and will be issued within a few days.

MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to the Commissioner for Resettlement for his short and to the point answer, but I would like to ask 3 supplementaries with regard to paragraph 1 of his answer to my question. Mr. Chairman, does the Commissioner for Resettlement regard those people who were originally boat inhabitants in Aberdeen, as being squatters as described in his answer?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: I take it that Mr. Hu is referring to ones in licensed areas. They are technically not squatters, in fact the position there is that a few of them have been advised to move because their huts have been affected. What will happen to them in the future has not yet been decided.

MR. HU: The second question I would ask concerns those people who have already paid $3 per month as the licence fee to the Government for the last year or so, will those people still be considered as squatters in your question?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: There again, as I think I said, technically they are not squatters: they are licensees.

MR. HU: If they are squatters, could consideration be given to granting them direct resettlement?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Sir, this is a hypothetical question. The position is that at the moment we don't know whether they can go back to their original sites or not. Their original sites are being examined. I think when that question has been decided we will then consider whether, if they can't go back to their sites, they would qualify for resettlement.

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Page 84 of 243 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL to swimming that I have raised this question. I was wondering whether Mr. SALES, as Chairman of the committee, could review this whole subject again in committee and see whether an approach ought to be made to Government to state specifically in regard to Government providing a first-class swimming instructor of international standard. MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to do that. As Mr. CHEONG-LEEN knows the question comes better from him than from me. Being the President of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association it could appear that I favour swimming over other sports but that is not so. However, because of the vast development in the coming years of swimming pool complexes, the problem has not escaped the attention of my committee, and at Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's instigation, not mine, we will certainly press for swimming coaches over and above perhaps coaches for other sports. As regards an international swimming instructor, I personally, in another capacity, am already well advanced in negotiation for the engagement of just such an expert and this would not be the first time that I have over the years tried to engage a swimming coach of international standing for Hong Kong, this has been done time and again but we have not succeeded for lack of monetary support. DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, could I ask a supplementary question? In considering this question of having a first-class international swimming coach in Hong Kong I hope that this will not preclude coaches for the ordinary school children using regularly the pools that we have and will have in future. MR. SALES: Sir, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's reference is to a first-class swimming coach of international standing and I have replied accordingly. Of course, of the time that the man will be spending in Hong Kong so much will be during the day time that it is my hope that much of it will be spent with school children through the Hong Kong Schools Sports Association with which I work very closely. As Members of this Council may be aware, I have convened two meetings of interested parties in youth activities in the last two months, including representatives of this particular association as well as the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association, to plan for the proper use of our swimming pools next year as much in advance as possible. In point of fact it is not our thinking that the time and effort of this particular expert would be devoted exclusively to swimmers of great competitive promise but more particularly to as great a number of young people as possible. (5) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question: Could the Chairman inform the Council whether those families which were badly affected by the landslide caused by recent heavy rain at Ma Shan, Tai Hang and Aberdeen areas could be directly resettled into the Resettlement Estate instead of being given a resite space in order to avoid any future danger which may come to them again? HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows: In accordance with approved policy, squatters affected by natural disasters are not eligible for direct resettlement unless the family's breadwinner has died or has been admitted to hospital. This policy has been re-examined from time to time, the last occasion being in January this year. As I understand from the wording of the question that Mr. Hu would like it to be reconsidered once again, I should add that a paper has been prepared for the Policy Select Committee covering this and allied questions and will be issued within a few days. MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to the Commissioner for Resettlement for his short and to the point answer, but I would like to ask 3 supplementaries with regard to paragraph 1 of his answer to my question. Mr. Chairman, does the Commissioner for Resettlement regard those people who were originally boat inhabitants in Aberdeen, as being squatters as described in his answer? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: I take it that Mr. Hu is referring to ones in licensed areas. They are technically not squatters, in fact the position there is that a few of them have been advised to move because their huts have been affected. What will happen to them in the future has not yet been decided. MR. HU: The second question I would ask concerns those people who have already paid $3 per month as the licence fee to the Government for the last year or so, will those people still be considered as squatters in your question? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: There again, as I think I said, technically they are not squatters: they are licensees. MR. HU: If they are squatters, could consideration be given to granting them direct resettlement? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: Sir, this is a hypothetical question. The position is that at the moment we don't know whether they can go back to their original sites or not. Their original sites are being examined. I think when that question has been decided we will then consider whether, if they can't go back to their sites, they would qualify for resettlement. Page 84 of 243

Baseline (Original)

243 Page 84 of 243 148 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL to swimming that I have raised this question. I was wondering whether Mr. SALES, as Chairman of the committee, could review this whole subject again in committee and see whether an approach ought to be made to Government to state specifically in regard to Government pro- viding a first-class swimming instructor of international standard. MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to do that. As Mr. CHEONG-LEEN knows the question comes better from him than from me. Being the President of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association it could appear that I favour swimming over other sports but that is not so. However, because of the vast development in the coming years of swimming pool complexes, the problem has not escaped the attention of my committee, and at Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's instigation, not mine, we will certainly press for swimming coaches over and above perhaps coaches for other sports. As regards an international swimming instructor. I personally, in another capacity, am already well advanced in negotiation for the engagement of just such an expert and this would not be the first time that I have over the years tried to engage a swimming coach of international standing for Hong Kong, this has been done time and again but we have not succeeded for lack of monetary support. DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, could I ask a supplementary question? In considering this question of having a first-class international swim- ming coach in Hong Kong I hope that this will not preclude coaches for the ordinary school children using regularly the pools that we have and will have in future. MR. SALES: Sir, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's reference is to a first-class swimming coach of international standing and I have replied accord- ingly. Of course, of the time that the man will be spending in Hong Kong so much will be during the day time that it is my hope that much of it will be spent with school children through the Hong Kong Schools Sports Association with which I work very closely. As Members of this Council may be aware, I have convened two meetings of interested parties in youth activities in the last two months, including representa- tives of this particular association as well as the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association, to plan for the proper use of our swimming pools next year as much in advance as possible. In point of fact it is not our thinking that the time and effort of this particular expert would be devoted exclusively to swimmers of great competitive promise but more particularly to as great a number of young people as possible. (5) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:- Could the Chairman inform the Council whether those families which were badly affected by the landslide caused by recent heavy rain at Ma Shan, Tai Hang and Aberdeen HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 149 areas could be directly resettled into the Resettlement Estate instead of being given a resite space in order to avoid any future danger which may come to them again? THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows: In accordance with approved policy, squatters affected by natural disasters are not eligible for direct resettlement unless the family's breadwinner has died or has been admitted to hospital. This policy has been re-examined from time to time, the last occasion being in January this year. As I understand from the wording of the question that Mr. Hu would like it to be reconsidered once again, I should add that a paper has been prepared for the Policy Select Committee covering this and allied questions and will be issued within a few days. MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to the Commissioner for Resettlement for his short and to the point answer, but I would like to ask 3 supplementaries with regard to paragraph 1 of his answer to my question. Mr. Chairman, does the Commissioner for Resettlement regard those people who were originally boat inhabitants in Aberdeen, as being squatters as described in his answer? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: —I take it that Mr. Hu is referring to ones in licensed areas. They are technically not squatters, in fact the position there is that a few of them have been advised to move because their huts have been affected. What will happen to them in the future has not yet been decided. MR. HU:-The second question I would ask concerns those people who have already paid $3 per month as the licence fee to the Govern- ment for the last year or so, will those people still be considered as squatters in your question? COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-There again, as I think I said, technically they are not squatters: they are licensees. MR. HU:-If they are squatters, could consideration be given to granting them direct resettlement? slightly hypo- COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Sir, this is thetical question. The position is that at the moment we don't know whether they can go back to their original sites or not. Their original sites are being examined. I think when that question has been decided we will then consider whether, if they can't go back to their sites, they would qualify for resettlement. Page 84 of 243 IF

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Page 84 of 243

148

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

to swimming that I have raised this question. I was wondering whether Mr. SALES, as Chairman of the committee, could review this whole subject again in committee and see whether an approach ought to be made to Government to state specifically in regard to Government pro- viding a first-class swimming instructor of international standard.

MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to do that. As Mr. CHEONG-LEEN knows the question comes better from him than from me. Being the President of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association it could appear that I favour swimming over other sports but that is not so. However, because of the vast development in the coming years of swimming pool complexes, the problem has not escaped the attention of my committee, and at Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's instigation, not mine, we will certainly press for swimming coaches over and above perhaps coaches for other sports. As regards an international swimming instructor. I personally, in another capacity, am already well advanced in negotiation for the engagement of just such an expert and this would not be the first time that I have over the years tried to engage a swimming coach of international standing for Hong Kong, this has been done time and again but we have not succeeded for lack of monetary support.

DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, could I ask a supplementary question? In considering this question of having a first-class international swim- ming coach in Hong Kong I hope that this will not preclude coaches for the ordinary school children using regularly the pools that we have and will have in future.

MR. SALES: Sir, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN's reference is to a first-class swimming coach of international standing and I have replied accord- ingly. Of course, of the time that the man will be spending in Hong Kong so much will be during the day time that it is my hope that much of it will be spent with school children through the Hong Kong Schools Sports Association with which I work very closely. As Members of this Council may be aware, I have convened two meetings of interested parties in youth activities in the last two months, including representa- tives of this particular association as well as the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association, to plan for the proper use of our swimming pools next year as much in advance as possible. In point of fact it is not our thinking that the time and effort of this particular expert would be devoted exclusively to swimmers of great competitive promise but more particularly to as great a number of young people as possible.

(5) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:-

Could the Chairman inform the Council whether those families which were badly affected by the landslide caused by recent heavy rain at Ma Shan, Tai Hang and Aberdeen

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

149

areas could be directly resettled into the Resettlement Estate instead of being given a resite space in order to avoid any future danger which may come to them again?

THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:

In accordance with approved policy, squatters affected by natural disasters are not eligible for direct resettlement unless the family's breadwinner has died or has been admitted to hospital.

MR. HU:-Mr. Chairman, I am grateful to the Commissioner for Resettlement for his short and to the point answer, but I would like to ask 3 supplementaries with regard to paragraph 1 of his answer to my question. Mr. Chairman, does the Commissioner for Resettlement regard those people who were originally boat inhabitants in Aberdeen, as being squatters as described in his answer?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: —I take it that Mr. Hu is referring to ones in licensed areas. They are technically not squatters, in fact the position there is that a few of them have been advised to move because their huts have been affected. What will happen to them in the future has not yet been decided.

MR. HU:-The second question I would ask concerns those people who have already paid $3 per month as the licence fee to the Govern- ment for the last year or so, will those people still be considered as squatters in your question?

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-There again, as I think I said, technically they are not squatters: they are licensees.

MR. HU:-If they are squatters, could consideration be given to granting them direct resettlement?

slightly hypo-

COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Sir, this is thetical question. The position is that at the moment we don't know whether they can go back to their original sites or not. Their original sites are being examined. I think when that question has been decided we will then consider whether, if they can't go back to their sites, they would qualify for resettlement.

1968 — Page 84

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