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desirable that entertainment and recreation sites should be available to the youths free or at very reasonable charges. Admission to the public places run by the Urban Council should be operated on a similar basis.

Hawkers

Now let me touch on the problem of hawkers.

Recently, I have travelled in Southeast Asia, it seems that the hawker problem is in existence in every big city. But Hong Kong is more densely populated, it thus creates a more critical problem here.

We can imagine that there will be more hawkers on the streets this year because of the recession.

I am fully in favour of the policy of the Urban Council that in times of adverse economic circumstances, hawking should not be restricted so much as in more favourable days.

But it does not mean that we may let hawking out of control. We simply mean that more unemployed people may turn to the hawking business temporarily, which we have to tolerate, within reason.

In 1975, it is suggested that we should adopt a more modified attitude towards the hawking problem, in order to let people do hawk- ing business on a short term basis as an expedient measure to alleviate the unemployment situation.

As a long term policy, we should pay more attention to the follow- ing:

(i) Are there sufficient markets and bazaars to provide adequate

supply to the local people?

(ii) Are there sufficient places to accommodate all the hawkers? (iii) Are the markets and bazaars conveniently situated for the

buyers?

(iv) Are the prices of commodities higher in the designated markets and bazaars? Is it because they are in a monopolistic situa- tion, so they can charge more?

(v) When we are planning the new towns and new housing estates, have we made sure that sufficient shops, markets and bazaars and other spaces of operation have been provided?

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(vi) It has always been said that the income of a hawker is often higher than that of a worker. If it is true, it may be due to the restrictions on the hawking licence, or it may be due to insufficient markets or bazaars, and other operation areas. As a result of which each hawker is having a very big daily turnover. Consequently, we cannot induce the hawkers to go into industries and cannot reduce the number of hawkers. (vii) If we want to reduce the number of hawkers, the Government have to create more employment opportunities. That means we should encourage and attract more youths to industries by helping the manufacturers and to provide more facilities for industrial training.

We must, I am afraid, recognize that 1975 is a recession period when we consider the hawkers and the youth problems.

Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion. (Ap- plause).

MRS. GRACE Ho (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as the most junior Member of this Council of just over one month's standing, I find that my seniors have already spoken in great depth on the functions and aims of this Council as well as on matters concerning the welfare of our Community.

I therefore propose to speak only on three subjects, one appertain- ing to the functions of this Council and the other two outside its ambit. The first deals with greater involvement of young people in our recreational programmes. We have a high percentage of children and youth in our population. The need somewhere to go in their spare time and to escape from the pressures of passing examinations and of urban living. Their energies can be channelled into healthy outdoor activities. Many urban schools are already organizing work groups for building paths to isolated villages, etc. The Conservancy Associa- tion is doing good work providing picnic grounds, for instance, in the Plover Cove Reservoir area. The forestry service is active around the Shing Mun Reservoir and this Council in the city districts such as the picnic area at Pinewood off Hatton Road on Hong Kong Island.

I would like to see the Urban Council actively encourage and expand this type of activity; for example, giving grants to urban school children to help build more picnic grounds in the countryside. Certain districts have been zoned for nature parks. Under normal conditions,

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