Page 53 of 187
74
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. WONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, before I say anything, I must tell you that there was a mistake in my name in all Chinese newspapers this morning. However, the question is concerned with the urgent demand of proper badminton courts at the moment.
An answer from 46 schools, including the Hong Kong University, to my questionnaire shows that this group has 27 courts and the total number of students male and female, who love to play badminton amounts to 5,876, almost 6,000, and all headmasters asked the Government to build more badminton courts, I mean proper ones that are not affected by wind-blowing, not open badminton courts. The number of the public at large who are fond of badminton is not yet known. But the public cannot make use of the courts in schools and I think it will take a long time to meet the demand looking at the progress of the Hung Hom Indoor Stadium. Whether this is specifically built for badminton remains to be known. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I thought I heard you ask when would more public courts be built? Will Mr. Lo answer that please?
MR. Lo (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Dr. WONG has certainly put his finger on the nub of the problem which is that you can't really play badminton properly outdoors. It has to be indoor. I think, in that case, we must wait to put these courts in the multi-purpose games halls, the one in Kai Tak, at the moment, is the only one in existence. We can have 3 badminton courts in use at any one time and until more of these multi-purpose games halls are built, I am afraid we cannot provide any more proper badminton courts.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo has said that the Hung Hom Indoor Stadium will permit international standard badminton when it is built. How long will that be approximately?
MR. Lo (in English:)-The best I can say is not very soon. (Laughter)
(4) Miss Ko SIU-WAH asked the following question (in Cantonese): --
Can I be informed when will the Urban Council Annual Report be printed and when will it be available to the public?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
75
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
Mr. Chairman, Miss Ko Siu-wah enquires regarding progress in the preparation of the Urban Council Annual Report for 1973/74.
I am glad to say that, following the Council's decision to produce a report on its activities for the year for public distribution at low cost, all materials have now been gathered from Select Committees and the English and Chinese language versions are now being checked. It is expected that the final report will be sent next week to the Government Printer who has indicated that the printing process will take from six to eight weeks. However, efforts are being made to speed up the printing process. Once printed, the report will be submitted by the Chairman, as a part of his own report, to His Excellency the Governor in accordance with Section 48 of the Urban Council Ordinance. It will then be laid on the table of the Legislative Council in accordance with Section 49 of the Urban Council Ordinance and will be available, thereafter, for distribution to the public.
It is intended that 50,000 copies of the report will be published. These will be made available freely to the publicity media so that the highlights of the Council's activities can be presented on as wide a scale as possible and the maximum expression of opinion encouraged from all quarters of society. A copy of the report will be provided free of charge to all of the 30,000-odd registered Urban Council electors in appreciation of the interest indicated by their registration, and in the hope that they will find this record of activities sufficiently inspiring to encourage them to vote at the elections of March, 1975. At the same time, copies will be made available to the general public at $2.00 per copy through the usual channels and at the Urban Council Exhibition to be held in November, 1974.
I think this answers Miss Ko's question in sufficient detail. I hope that the time schedule I have mentioned can be maintained and I trust it will be possible, from the experience gained this year, to produce the 1974/75 report by May, or at latest, June 1975.
Page 53 of 187
Page 53 of 187
74
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
DR. WONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, before I say anything, I must tell you that there was a mistake in my name in all Chinese newspapers this morning. However, the question is concerned with the urgent demand of proper badminton courts at the moment.
An answer from 46 schools, including the Hong Kong University, to my questionaire shows that this group has 27 courts and the total number of students male and female, who love to play badminton amounts to 5,876, almost 6,000, and all headmasters asked the Government to build more badminton courts, I mean proper ones that are not affected by wind-blowing, not open badminton courts. The number of the public at large who are fond of badminton is not yet known. But the public cannot make use of the courts in schools and I think it will take a long time to meet the demand looking at the progress of the Hung Hom Indoor Stadium. Whether this is specifically built for badminton remains to be known. Thank you.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I thought I heard you ask when would more public courts be built? Will Mr. Lo answer that please?
MR. Lo (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Dr. WONG has certainly put his finger on the nub of the problem which is that you can't really play badminton properly outdoors. It has to be indoor. I think, in that case, we must wait to put these courts in the multi-purpose games halls, the one in Kai Tak, at the moment, is the only one in existence. We can have 3 badminton courts in use at any one time and until more of these multi-purpose games halls are built, I am afraid we cannot provide any more proper badminton courts.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo has said that the Hung Hom Indoor Stadium will permit international standard badminton when it is built. How long will that be approximately?
MR. Lo (in English:)-The best I can say is not very soon. (Laughter)
(4) Miss Ko SIU-WAH asked the following question (in Cantonese): --
Can I be informed when will the Urban Council Annual Report be printed and when will it be available to the public?
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
75
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADMINISTRATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):
Mr. Chairman, Miss Ko Siu-wah enquires regarding progress in the preparation of the Urban Council Annual Report for 1973/74.
I am glad to say that, following the Council's decision to produce a report on its activities for the year for public distribution at low cost, all materials have now been gathered from Select Committees and the English and Chinese language versions are now being checked. It is expected that the final report will be sent next week to the Government Printer who has indicated that the print- ing process will take from six to eight weeks. However, efforts are being made to speed up the printing process. Once printed, the report will be submitted by the Chairman, as a part of his own report, to His Excellency the Governor in accordance with Section 48 of the Urban Council Ordinance. It will then be laid on the table of the Legislative Council in accordance with Section 49 of the Urban Council Ordinance and will be available, there- after, for distribution to the public.
It is intended that 50,000 copies of the report will be published. These will be made available freely to the publicity media so that the highlights of the Council's activities can be presented on as wide a scale as possible and the maximum expression of opinion encouraged from all quarters of society. A copy of the report will be provided free of charge to all of the 30,000-odd registered Urban Council electors in appreciation of the interest indicated by their registration, and in the hope that they will find this record of activities sufficiently inspiring to encourage them to vote at the elections of March, 1975. At the same time, copies will be made available to the general public at $2.00 per copy through the usual channels and at the Urban Council Exhibition to be held in November, 1974.
I think this answers Miss Ko' question in sufficient detail. I hope that the time schedule I have mentioned can be maintained and I trust it will be possible, from the ex- perience gained this year, to produce the 1974/75 report by May, or at latest, June 1975.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.