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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Page 98 of 242

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are being contemplated as part of the overall recreation facilities in the coming 12 months or otherwise in the foreseeable future?

MRS. C. J. SYMONS, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARY SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-

By "after school homework centres" I assume that Mr. BERNACCHI means studyrooms similar to the one now operating at Kowloon Park—which is by way of a pilot project, to be assessed and compared with a similar but differently staffed project run by the Education Department.

The Library Select Committee is receiving regular reports about the pilot scheme but a detailed and full report will not be prepared and presented until it has been running for at least a full year.

After both pilot schemes have been assessed, it may be possible for this Council to consider more comprehensive plans to meet the needs for such facilities, should this be found desirable.

However, as far as resettlement estates go, the Resettlement Department is arranging with the Social Welfare Department to invite interested voluntary agencies to run study rooms in some recently vacated roof-top premises in some old estates while in new estates a whole floor with an area of 2,300 sq. ft. in each of the estate welfare buildings at Lam Tin, Sau Mau Ping, Ngau Tau Kok and Tsz Wan Shan has been allocated for use as a children's library with reading room facilities. I understand that the Resettlement Management Select Committee is prepared to consider allocating premises reserved for welfare purposes to voluntary organizations for use as libraries/reading or study rooms.

MR. HU: Mr. Chairman, I ask one supplementary. At the time that the Library Select Committee launched our pilot scheme of this idea, at the same time the Education Department launched theirs. I would like to know what is the result that they have got about this similar project?

CHAIRMAN:-I think they are in the same position as ourselves, Mr. Hu. We haven't got to the stage of preparing a report yet.

MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, have they even opened it? I don't think they have.

CHAIRMAN: —I think it is doubtful about that.

MRS. SYMONS: -Up to date, Mr. Chairman, I don't know of anything they have done specifically. We seem to have got off the ground and they are developing it.

MR. BERNACCHI:-I would like to ask, has there been any liaison between the Council and the Education Department or is it in effect two similar schemes are being run parallel to one another but without specific liaison?

MRS. SYMONS:---In my limited experience there has not been co-operation or liaison. We heard that they were due to open one. I don't know when this scheme, this project scheme about which I reported, was first mooted but Mrs. ELLIOTT was Chairman and might be able to explain.

MRS. ELLIOTT:--Can I first clarify that point, Mr. Chairman? The intention was to see whether we could run our project as well as the Education Department with different types of staff. We are using just assistants who are not qualified teachers. They were going to use teachers and we wanted to see which one is more suitable before launching out on any others. As far as I know the Education Department haven't even got off the ground yet.

MR. BERNACCHI:-You speak of receiving regular reports. Are these preliminary reports satisfactory?

MRS. SYMONS:-I think they are much what we expected, Mr. Chairman. There is one that was tabled at a meeting about a couple of months ago and the first six months spoke of a 30% full use of the premises which really allowed about 282 people to use Kowloon Park Reading Room. I think during examinations periods of course there is a greater tendency. I don't know that my committee is particularly disappointed at this stage.

CHAIRMAN: I would just like to add, Mr. BERNACCHI, that in addition to the initial liaison we still keep in touch with the Education Department to find out what is happening.

MRS. SYMONS:-You do, Mr. Chairman, I don't think we do.

(26) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question :-

Could the Council be informed

(a) How many new markets, multi-storeyed, modular and otherwise are being planned for the coming 12 months