1973 — Page 110

152

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. It is just 4.00 p.m. Before we start with the business of today's meeting, I would like to welcome Mr. PARRY who is attend. ing in the company of Brigadier LEWTHWAITE, Director of Protocol. Mr. PARRY is a Member of Parliament and also, of particular interest to us, a member of the Liverpool City Council. I would like to wel. come back Mr. John MACKENIZE and such other Members of the Council, including the Chairman, who were away. (Laughter)

MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 11th September, 1973 were confirmed.

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in English):-In the last two months our select com- mittees have been working on their respective estimates of both staff and money required to discharge their responsibilities and even to expand their services.

This exercise is being done for the first time. There is necessarily some room for improvement later on after we gain more working experience and are in a better position to evaluate the effectiveness of our services and programmes.

Meanwhile, there is one particular point worth stressing. Have we the staff we want for our purposes? It is possible in some areas and grades we may be over-staffed while in others it is evident that we do not have the specialist manpower we need. Only time will tell, however much we may project our requirements now. I long asked the department to carry out a constant internal review of staff matters so that each section will be put in turn under careful examina- tion. Their findings are to be reported to the Council for considera- tion.

It is important for the staff to be given the training required for the effective discharge of their functions. The department has various training programmes for specialist staff. Still, in certain areas, more specially in supervisory work, there is urgent need for intensive training courses. To achieve this purpose, first steps have already been taken. Our select committees may wish to appraise the situation in the coming months and set the course for the department to take in this direction.

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

153

PAPER

The following paper was laid on the table: -

Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services

Department for the month of September 1973.

QUESTIONS

-

(1) MR. PETER P. F. CHAN asked the following question (in English):-

Can the Urban Council introduce horse riding as one of the

recreations available to the youth of Hong Kong?

MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): —

Mr. Chairman, both the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee and the Entertainment and Advertising Select Committee of the Urban Council welcome suggestions for items which might be included in the continuous Urban Council Entertainment and Recreation Programme, and could lead to the provision of additional facilities to enable the public to follow recreational pursuits.

There are, however, several limiting factors to take into account when considering any new proposal, of which probably the most important is whether it is likely to be practicable and represents the best use of our present resources for the public.

Horse riding requires fairly large tracts of land, whether for a turfed ring in which to practice, a turfed area in which to hold gymkhanas, or unsurfaced cross-country bridle paths. Stables too, are required adjacent to such areas- not to forget horses. The provision of such facilities as a public undertaking is simply out of the question in Hong Kong and Kowloon since open space is very limited and there are many other claims on available land on behalf of activities that cater for larger numbers of the public.

Any facilities already available for this activity tend to be on private land situated in the New Territories, and this is likely to remain so.

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