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wish that the Chairman of the Recreation & Amenities Select Committee could give me an assurance that the Department will provide extra staff to strengthen control and prevent people from sleeping on benches.
MR. SALES: -Sir, I will refer this matter to the park-keepers, although I would not like to see them behaving like spoil-sports when people are enjoying the public amenities that we are able to offer (Laughter). But I will refer the matter to the Department.
DR. HUANG:-Sir, my second supplementary concerns those people sleeping on benches in front of the Star Ferry, and also those people sleeping on the ground at the junction of Nathan Road/Gascoigne Road where there is a fairly big grass ground. I would like the Chairman of the Recreation & Amenities Select Committee to contact the relevant authorities and make the request that some legislation be drafted so that we can prevent the public from sleeping on public benches.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend that to your attention, "the drafting of proper legislation to prevent people sleeping on public benches", and as to the occurrences which Dr. HUANG has witnessed in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, I will bring the matter straight to the attention of my Colleague, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, who is the ward councillor for Tsim Sha Tsui. (Laughter).
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Would not iron bars across the middle of the benches stop people lying down?
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, without in any way expressing my own views on the subject matter of the question, cannot the second category be gazetted so as to bring them under the control of the Urban Council By-laws?
MR. SALES: Sir, I have never been able to discover why the bits and pieces of land have not been gazetted as public pleasure grounds. Perhaps your Department might like to look into that.
CHAIRMAN: --We can do this, Mr. SALES, but I have a feeling that at the last meeting you told me that these were not really considered as pleasure grounds. (Laughter).
MR. SALES-No, they were not considered as "active recreation grounds".
(13) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
Can steps be taken to convert the open space adjacent to Man Wui Street at the Jordan Road Ferry Point into a rest garden?
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MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This open space is required for the improvement of the ferry concourse and bus terminus, and is so shown on the Yau Ma Tei Outline Zoning Plan which was gazetted early last month for public exhibition. I am told that its temporary use as a rest garden cannot be agreed to as the improvements to the concourse will be started as soon as the design is settled.
However, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN may wish to know that the Department has applied for a piece of land along the waterfront at the end of Man Wui Street for development as a sitting-out area, and I would like to table this plan to show the position as it obtains in that neighbourhood.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I thank Mr. SALES. Could I be supplied with that by the Secretary to-morrow morning, Mr. Chairman?
(14) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
What steps are being taken to improve reception facilities at Urban Services Department Offices and Resettlement Department Offices in the light of the recommendations for improvement made in the recent Survey Report of reception arrangements in Government Departments?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
The survey on reception facilities did indicate flaws in the facilities provided in both Departments. Such surveys are useful and their results are carefully studied by Government and the individual departments concerned.
I am, of course, very much aware of the necessity for proper reception facilities. One of the difficulties in this Head Office is the lack of space for a proper reception room, particularly at the west end of this floor. Nevertheless, consideration is being given to providing better reception space, and better trained staff to receive members of the public. A receptionist is, in fact, already under training for employment where the demand for her services is most needed i.e. at the west end of the building. Action is also being taken to improve reception facilities at the Kowloon Headquarters in Sai Yee Street and other branch offices. These include redecoration of areas in which members of the public are received, as well as the provision of suitable staff to receive them.
Page 49 of 237
Page 49 of 237
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wish that the Chairman of the Recreation & Amenities Select Committee could give me an assurance that the Department will provide extra staff to strengthen control and prevent people from sleeping on benches.
MR. SALES: -Sir, I will refer this matter to the park-keepers, although I would not like to see them behaving like spoil-sports when people are enjoying the public amenities that we are able to offer (Laughter). But I will refer the matter to the Department.
DR. HUANG:-Sir, my second supplementary concerns those people sleeping on benches in front of the Star Ferry, and also those people sleeping on the ground at the junction of Nathan Road/Gascoigne Road where there is a fairly big grass ground. I would like the Chairman of the Recreation & Amenities Select Committee to contact the relevant authorities and make the request that some legislation be drafted so that we can prevent the public from sleeping on public benches.
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend that to your attention, "the drafting of proper legislation to prevent people sleeping on public benches", and as to the occurrences which Dr. HUANG has witnessed in the Tsim Sha Tsui area, I will bring the matter straight to the attention of my Colleague, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN, who is the ward councillor for Tsim Sha Tsui. (Laughter).
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Would not iron bars across the middle of the benches stop people lying down?
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, without in any way expressing my own views on the subject matter of the question, cannot the second category be gazetted so as to bring them under the control of the Urban Council By-laws?
MR. SALES: Sir, I have never been able to discover why the bits and pieces of land have not been gazetted as public pleasure grounds. Perhaps your Department might like to look into that.
CHAIRMAN: --We can do this, Mr. SALES, but I have a feeling that at the last meeting you told me that these were not really considered as pleasure grounds. (Laughter).
MR. SALES-No, they were not considered as "active recreation grounds".
(13) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question: -
Can steps be taken to convert the open space adjacent to Man Wui Street at the Jordan Road Ferry Point into a rest garden?
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81
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
This open space is required for the improvement of the ferry concourse and bus terminus, and is so shown on the Yau Ma Tei Outline Zoning Plan which was gazetted early last month for public exhibition. I am told that its temporary use as a rest garden cannot be agreed to as the improvements to the concourse will be started as soon as the design is settled.
However, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN may wish to know that the Department has applied for a piece of land along the waterfront at the end of Man Wui Street for development as a sitting-out area, and I would like to table this plan to show the position as it obtains in that neighbourhood.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-I thank Mr. SALES. Could I be supplied with that by the Secretary to-morrow morning, Mr. Chairman?
(14) MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
What steps are being taken to improve reception facilities at Urban Services Department Offices and Resettlement Department Offices in the light of the recommendations for improvement made in the recent Survey Report of reception arrangements in Government Departments?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
The survey on reception facilities did indicate flaws in the facilities provided in both Departments. Such surveys are useful and their results are carefully studied by Govern- ment and the individual departments concerned.
I am, of course, very much aware of the necessity for proper reception facilities. One of the difficulties in this Head Office is the lack of space for a proper reception room, particularly at the west end of this floor. Nevertheless, consideration is being given to providing better reception space, and better trained staff to receive members of the public. A receptionist is, in fact, already under training for employment where the demand for her services is most needed i.e. at the west end of the building. Action is also being taken to improve reception facilities at the Kowloon Headquarters in Sai Yee Street and other branch offices. These include redecoration of areas in which members of the public are received, as well as the provision of suitable staff to receive them.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.