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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I would suggest that the Urban Council inquire from the Education Department, the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Social Welfare Depart- ment and the Police where youth problems and youth crimes are the most serious and in which districts or streets there is the greatest need for such recreation space. We should be thinking not of one or two such recreation centres but of as many as 50 to 100 recreation centres. By so doing, the Urban Council will bring youth recreation close to the homes of young people and literally round the corner.

I would further suggest that the Urban Council should be prepared to provide trained recreation organizers for each of these recreation centres, but that each recreation centre should have its own manage- ment committee selected from among the residents living within the neighbourhood. If considered advisable, the management committee might even have several youth representatives. This is the kind of community leadership and community involvement that the Urban Council should seek to encourage at the district or street level. In this regard, I believe that the City District Officers can assist in the preparation of a list of suitable candidates for the management com- mittee.

Because the management committee lives in the neighbourhood, it should be possible for the management committee to raise money to partially equip the recreation centre and to plan its activities, with the coordinating effort of the Urban Services Department youth recreation organizer, to suit the needs of young people in the neighbourhood. Cultural and sporting activities could be planned for purposes of general recreation as well as to encourage social consciousness and community responsibility. Programmes could be planned for school children during the day-time and for young working people during the evening. In addition, the youth recreation centre could be made available for use by the Boy Scouts Association, or any other recognized youth groups that wished to use the premises.

It is my view Mr. Chairman that while in the fields of commerce and industry, and in general economic development, we are moving forward efficiently and rapidly, there is still much to be desired in social development, particularly in attacking the problems that face our youth, in education, in community involvement, and in expansion of recreation and community development facilities for youth.

For a rich community like Hong Kong, our record does not com- pare too favourably to that of Singapore which although with less financial resources than Hong Kong has a total of 186 community centres to serve a population half that of Hong Kong and in each of these community centres youth programmes which are organized to give them a sense of discipline and identity are an important part of the community centre's functions.

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The Urban Council has done much for the youth of Hong Kong by way of expansion of recreation facilities, but it can do so much more to enrich the lives of our young people and make them more responsive to the call to community service if only the Council is given additional resources to do so.

I do not for a moment suggest that we should coddle our young people. But we owe it to them to bring them up in a harmonious and happy living environment and with a sense of law and order and of human values so that they can be well equipped to take up their respon- sibilities as Hong Kong citizens as they grow older and become parents themselves.

Mr. Chairman, I now move the motion that stands in my name.

MR. PETER C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to second the Motion and reserve my speech under Standing Order 10(11).

CHAIRMAN:-The Motion has been moved and seconded. Does any Member wish to speak?

MR. RAYMOND Y. K. KAN:—Yes, Mr. Chairman. In speaking for the Motion, I would like to congratulate Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN for his in depth study of a subject with which we feel so concerned. His analysis of the situation clearly reflects the thinking and feeling of the citizens of Hong Kong and I agree wholeheartedly with his remarks. However, I wish to propose an amendment to the original Motion. So that the matter may have the immediate attention of the concerned party. My proposed amendment is, therefore, that the words "through its appropriate Select Committee" be inserted after the words "Resolved that the Urban Council". In other words the whole amended Motion will read "Resolved that the Urban Council through its appropriate Select Committee explore the feasibility of acquiring space in multi- storey buildings in order to provide recreational facilities for youth living in the more heavily populated urban districts."

(The Director of Social Welfare left the meeting at this point).

MR. HENRY WONG:-Mr. Chairman, I second the motion by Mr. Raymond KAN.

CHAIRMAN:-Ladies and Gentlemen, it is proposed that the Motion be amended to read "Resolved that the Urban Council through its appropriate Select Committee explore the feasibility of acquiring space in multi-storey buildings in order to provide recreational facilities for youth living in the more heavily populated urban districts." Does any Member wish to speak?

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