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services. Sometimes, as is often the case with estate playgrounds, the soil is unsuitable for growing trees and requires special treatment. Often, too, particularly in the crowded areas where they are most needed, young trees are destroyed or damaged by vandals. Further, the planting season is limited. Although a few species can be planted at other times of the year, the main season is from March to September. For these reasons, plus the fact that many sites are already fully planted, future progress is likely to be steady rather than spectacular. I might add, however, that the Recreation and Amenities Division has very recently set up an internal working party to see whether there are any ways of improving the effectiveness of the tree and shrub planting programme—not that a record of around 308,000 trees and 282,000 shrubs planted over the last five years is an achievement to be ashamed of.
With regard to Mr. SALES' remarks that the recreation and amenities construction programme is faltering, while it may be true that we have opened fewer public gardens, playgrounds, etc. this year, the fact remains that in the first eleven months of this year we have actually spent almost $100,000 more from the Block Vote than during the same period last year; and we have added 70 acres (albeit most of them in Morse Park) to the Council's facilities, as against only 40 acres in the previous 15 months.
We cannot, of course, afford to be complacent—nor are we—in this connection, and I know that my colleague the Director of Public Works is always behind us in ensuring, to the best of his ability, that our projects are pushed on quickly.
Although I have considerable sympathy with Mr. SALES' and Mr. Wilson WANG's pleas that Government should embark on a programme for the construction of "multi-purpose sports halls" in every district, I fear there is little option but to see first how successful the prototype at Kai Tak East turns out to be before any expansion of the programme can be considered. At something like $492,000 a time (which is nearly $140,000 more than the estimate, about which I was questioned quite recently in Council at some length), we must be sure that these buildings contain the right mixture of facilities, and this we shall really only be able to gauge in the light of actual experience. I fully agree with Mr. SALES that we cannot ignore the need also for major sports buildings for the Colony as a whole.
On the subject of public entertainment, I also agree with Mr. SALES who suggested that the time has come for an evaluation of the Urban Council's programme, possibly with the Council concentrating its resources on new projects and leaving firmly established types of entertainment to civic or other organizations. The Department has indeed already recently embarked on some aspects of such a review, but what will finally emerge from it, I cannot at this stage forecast.
Mr. Hu said that the "mod pop-in's" had faded into insignificance, and that most young people prefer less frenetic outdoor pursuits. In fact, so far this year, we have held 13 mod pop-in dances as against 15 last year. However, far fewer people have attended—6,000 compared with 29,000. The reason is not lack of popularity, but the fact that, for legal reasons, we now confine these dances to much smaller indoor areas instead of outdoor venues, like Blake Pier, which have a much greater capacity. But to put things into perspective: last year, "pop-ins" accounted for only 15 out of the 267 events staged in the urban areas, so I do not think we can be accused of favouring those at the expense of other forms of recreation. Our aim is, of course, to reach as many people as we can, within our resources, in as many different ways as possible.
Mr. WANG has advocated the establishment of central co-ordinating bodies for sports and recreation. In last year's debate, I did not support his proposal for Government to set up a committee to include members from leading sports groups and to act as an advisory body for the promotion of community sports and recreation. I see, however, that, in the meantime, Mr. WANG has decided to distinguish recreation from sport, and he now assures us that he has never envisaged that any Council which might be set up should compete in any way with existing sports bodies. I therefore think—and not only as a parting present to Mr. WANG who, I am sorry to note, has declared his intention of leaving the Council on 31st March, 1970!—that the time may have come when this matter should be re-examined, and I shall recommend accordingly to Government.
Mr. P. K. NG made an interesting suggestion that we should enlist the services of young people to form an Auxiliary Park Planning and Construction Team, following the example of the Civil Aid Services or Auxiliary Defence Force. I would like to follow this up, but unlike the two services which he mentions, whose members are trained to carry out specific tasks, I do not see at present any very positive use for a park planning and construction team. The planning, construction and management of parks and playgrounds are usually dealt with by technical and administrative specialists working within the present framework. Perhaps Mr. NG could discuss this with my staff after this debate. I would, of course, support his proposal to the extent that we would be very interested to hear from young people, and indeed the public in general, what facilities they think parks and playgrounds ought to contain, and it might be possible to work out some form of liaison on this aspect, perhaps through the City District Officers, who,
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37
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services. Sometimes, as is often the case with estate playgrounds, the soil is unsuitable for growing trees and requires special treatment. Often, too, particularly in the crowded areas where they are most needed, young trees are destroyed or damaged by vandals. Further, the planting season is limited. Although a few species can be planted at other times of the year, the main season is from March to September. For these reasons, plus the fact that many sites are already fully planted, future progress is likely to be steady rather than spectacular. I might add, however, that the Recreation and Amenities Division has very recently set up an internal working party to see whether there are any ways of improving the effectiveness of the tree and shrub planting programme-not that a record of around 308,000 trees and 282,000 shrubs planted over the last five years is an achievement to be ashamed of.
With regard to Mr. SALES' remarks that the recreation and amenities construction programme is faltering, while it may be true that we have opened fewer public gardens, playgrounds, etc. this year, the fact remains that in the first eleven months of this year we have
actually spent almost $100,000 more from the Block Vote than during the same period last year;
and we have added 70 acres (albeit most of them in Morse Park) to the Council's facilities, as against only 40 acres in the previous 15 months.
We cannot, of course, afford to be complacent-nor are we—in this connection, and I know that my colleague the Director of Public Works is always behind us in ensuring, to the best of his ability, that our projects are pushed on quickly.
Although I have considerable sympathy with Mr. SALES' and Mr. Wilson WANG's pleas that Government should embark on a programme for the construction of "multi-purpose sports halls" in every district, I fear there is little option but to see first how successful the prototype at Kai Tak East turns out to be before any expansion of the programme can be considered. At something like $492,000 a time (which is nearly $140,000 more than the estimate, about which I was questioned quite recently in Council at some length), we must be sure that these buildings contain the right mixture of facilities, and this we shall really only be able to gauge in the light of actual experience. I fully agree with Mr. SALES that we cannot ignore the need also for major sports buildings for the Colony as a whole.
On the subject of public entertainment, I also agree with Mr. SALES who suggested that the time has come for an evaluation of the Urban Council's programme, possibly with the Council concentrating its resources on new projects and leaving firmly established types of
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
375
entertainment to civic or other organizations. The Department has indeed already recently embarked on some aspects of such a review, but what will finally emerge from it, I cannot at this stage forecast.
Mr. Hu said that the "mod pop-in's" had faded into insignificance, and that most young people prefer less frenetic outdoor pursuits. In fact, so far this year, we have held 13 mod pop-in dances as against 15 last year. However, far fewer people have attended-6,000 compared with 29,000. The reason is not lack of popularity, but the fact that, for legal reasons, we now confine these dances to much smaller indoor areas instead of outdoor venues, like Blake Pier, which have a much greater capacity. But to put things into perspective: last year, "pop-ins" accounted for only 15 out of the 267 events staged in the urban areas, so I do not think we can be accused of favouring those at the expense of other forms of recreation. Our aim is, of course, to reach as many people as we can, within our resources, in as many different ways as possible.
Mr. WANG has advocated the establishment of central co-ordinat- ing bodies for sports and recreation. In last year's debate, I did not support his proposal for Government to set up a committee to include members from leading sports groups and to act as an advisory body for the promotion of community sports and recreation. I see, however, that, in the meantime, Mr. WANG has decided to distinguish recreation from sport, and he now assures us that he has never envisaged that any Council which might be set up should compete in any way with existing sports bodies. I therefore think-and not only as a parting present to Mr. WANG who, I am sorry to note, has declared his intention of leaving the Council on 31st March, 1970!—that the time may have come when this matter should be re-examined, and I shall recommend accordingly to Government.
Mr. P. K. NG made an interesting suggestion that we should enlist the services of young people to form an Auxiliary Park Planning and Construction Team, following the example of the Civil Aid Services or Auxiliary Defence Force. I would like to follow this up, but unlike the two services which he mentions, whose members are trained to carry out specific tasks, I do not see at present any very positive use for a park planning and construction team. The planning, construction and management of parks and playgrounds are usually dealt with by technical and administrative specialists working within the present framework. Perhaps Mr. NG could discuss this with my staff after this debate. I would, of course, support his proposal to the extent that we would be very interested to hear from young people, and indeed the public in general, what facilities they think parks and playgrounds ought to contain, and it might be possible to work out some form of liaison on this aspect, perhaps through the City District Officers, who,
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