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are not satisfactory and that we cannot be treated in this casual manner of being faced with a fait accompli without any discussion, consultation or agreement. This matter, I think, is also one which requires to be ironed out so that the procedure can be established which is satisfactory to us. Whilst on the matter of car parks, I also agree with Mr. CHAN and Mr. BERNACCHI that we should give nothing away, but we should proceed rather gradually, reasonably to extend our powers rather to give up the little we have. I support the motion.
MR. HENRY H. L. HU (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I'll speak on an entirely different subject. On the items 52, 53, 54 and 55, the expenditure concerning the Hawkers Select Committee. I think the public would wonder why the General Duties Team, the expenses to establish that team were not included in the Hawkers Select Committee. As a matter of fact, the expenses for establishing the General Duties Team was included in Item 1 of Expenditure, Item B, that means Personal Emoluments and Allowances. Although about the staff of Urban Services Department, we the Council, have no direct control over this staff. But since the General Duties Team is directly concerned with administration of hawkers' matters, I, as the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee, express hope today that the General Duties Team will be established as soon as possible. They should, as a matter of fact, have been established long ago, three months ago, as it was promised. With these comments, Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): --Mr. Chairman, I support the motion and I also support what Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN has said about entering into serious negotiations with the Government about the construction programme within this decade and also about our Cultural Complex. As for the sympathy shown by Mr. CHAN and the difficulties experienced by our staff, I too feel the same. As for Mr. Hu, he made some suggestions on personnel and on this I would point out that two-thirds of our money goes to paying staff without being consulted. We have not been consulted at all. We are just being given orders to pay them and we know nothing about efficiency or the quality of these members. We are not willing to say anything about the performance record and how they are doing. Now I feel very sad that the situation is so, but perhaps this is the situation. Now this will mean that for us, the Councillors, if the Urban Council does not perform well, then people will say that we are doing badly, but probably it is the staff that is causing the problem. Besides this point, which is worth mentioning, I fully support the Budget which has been the hard work of so many Councillors and members of our Urban Services Department and also for really efficient public servants.
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CHAIRMAN (in English): -Members in the debate today have raised valid points. I will take them in order. First, the Cultural Complex about which Mr. CHEONG-LEEN spoke. This will be one of the Council's monumental achievements when it is completed. committee has been studying it and working very hard too; another meeting is due to be called very soon. Meetings are held virtually on a monthly basis. A phased construction programme will be presented to the Council shortly. How to finance that project? I will put forward to the Finance Select Committee what I believe to be perhaps the only way to solve the problem effectively. This matter will, no doubt, be considered further by the Finance Select Committee in time.
Now on the question of car parks, I am sure that the Entertain-ments and Advertising Select Committee, which is in charge of car parks, will put this matter on the agenda at an early date when a definite proposal is received from the Government.
On public housing, I mentioned to Mr. BERNACCHI in a private discussion that perhaps the Standing Committee of the Whole Council might wish to consider at an appropriate time whether an item—to receive reports from Members of the Urban Council who are the Members of the Housing Authority—might not be put on the agenda with advantage.
Then there is this important question about staff. Only today I wrote again to the Director of Urban Services that the Urban Council must be consulted when matters affecting Government staff of grades employed by the Urban Services Department and paid for by the Urban Council are discussed by the Government. The Urban Council must be consulted because two-thirds of our Budget is absorbed by personal emoluments. We are interested not only in their level of salaries and other benefits, but we are certainly also interested in grading and engagement of specialist staff. For our part, we are pressing on very hard with the training of our staff, which is a matter within our competence.
Indeed, we are moving forward on all these matters and I appreciate Members' concern with them. I am sure that the observations made today will be studied very seriously by the relevant Select Committees and the Urban Services Department as well.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
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are not satisfactory and that we cannot be treated in this casual manner of being faced with a fait accompli without any discussion, consultation or agreement. This matter, I think, is also one which requires to be ironed out so that the procedure can be established which is satisfactory to us. Whilst on the matter of car parks, I also agree with Mr. CHAN and Mr. BERNACCHI that we should give nothing away, but we should proceed rather gradually, reasonably to extend our powers rather to give up the little we have. I support the motion.
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I'll speak on an entirely different subject. On the items 52, 53, 54 and 55, the expenditure concerning the Hawkers Select Committee. I think the public would wonder why the General Duties Team, the expenses to establish that team were not included in the Hawkers Select Committee. As a matter of fact, the expenses for establishing the General Duties Team was included in Item 1 of Expenditure, Item B, that means Personal Emoluments and Allowances. Although about the staff of Urban Services Department, we the Council, have no direct control over this staff. But since the General Duties Team is directly concerned with administration of hawkers' matters, I, as the Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee, express hope today that the General Duties Team will be established as soon as possible. They should, as a matter of fact, have been established long ago, three months ago, as it was promised. With these comments, Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese): --Mr. Chairman, I support the motion and I also support what Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN has said about entering into serious negotiations with the Government about the construction programme within this decade and also about our Cultural Complex. As for the sympathy shown by Mr. CHAN and the difficulties experienced by our staff, I too feel the same. As for Mr. Hu, he made some suggestions on personnel and on this I would point out that two-thirds of our money goes to paying staff without being consulted. We have not been consulted at all. We are just being given orders to pay them and we know nothing about efficiency or the quality of these members. We are not willing to say anything about the performance record and how they are doing. Now I feel very sad that the situation is so, but perhaps this is the situation. Now this will mean that for us, the Councillors, if the Urban Council does not perform well, then people will say that we are doing badly, but probably it is the staff that is causing the problem. Besides this point, which is worth mentioning, I fully support the Budget which has been the hard work of so many Councillors and members of our Urban Services Department and also for really efficient public servants.
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CHAIRMAN (in English): -Members in the debate today have raised valid points. I will take them in order. First, the Cultural Complex about which Mr. CHEONG-LEEN spoke. This will be one of the Council's monumental achievements when it is completed. committee has been studying it and working very hard too; another meeting is due to be called very soon. Meetings are held virtually on a monthly basis. A phased construction programme will be presented to the Council shortly. How to finance that project? I will put forward to the Finance Select Committee what I believe to be perhaps the only way to solve the problem effectively. This matter will, no doubt, be considered further by the Finance Select Committee in time.
Now on the question of car parks, I am sure that the Entertain- ments and Advertising Select Committee, which is in charge of car parks, will put this matter on the agenda at an early date when a definite proposal is received from the Government.
On public housing, I mentioned to Mr. BERNACCHI in a private discussion that perhaps the Standing Committee of the Whole Council might wish to consider at an appropriate time whether an item-to receive reports from Members of the Urban Council who are the Members of the Housing Authority-might not be put on the agenda with advantage.
Then there is this important question about staff. Only today I wrote again to the Director of Urban Services that the Urban Council must be consulted when matters affecting Government staff of grades employed by the Urban Services Department and paid for by the Urban Council are discussed by the Government. The Urban Council must be consulted because two-thirds of our Budget is absorbed by personal emoluments. We are interested not only in their level of salaries and other benefits, but we are certainly also interested in grading and engagement of specialist staff. For our part, we are pressing on very hard with the training of our staff, which is a matter within our competence.
Indeed, we are moving forward on all these matters and I appreciate Members' concern with them. I am sure that the observations made today will be studied very seriously by the relevant Select Committees and the Urban Services Department as well.
The question was put.
The motion was carried unanimously.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.