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and a steady economic growth in Hong Kong, there will be a consumption of over 127 pounds per head to be consumed by the year 1990 as compared with about 100 pounds of fresh meat in this year. To cope with this need, it is considered necessary to build an abattoir for Sha Tin and the Eastern New Territories to replace the old Tai Po Slaughterhouse in 1981. It is also considered that a future abattoir should be set up for Tuen Mun and the Western New Territories. In my humble opinion, the supply of hot and quivering meat for the community should be the responsibility of a single authority. Therefore, in the years to come, I look forward to the day when Government recognizes the fact that the Urban Council should expand to New Territories especially in this aspect and its attitude towards restriction of Urban Council's activities within the urban area should be relaxed.

I further think that the recommendation of the report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the future scope and operation of the Urban Council made in 10th August, 1966, (over 10 years ago), should be reviewed.

As far as abattoir activities are concerned, our public relation during the past year has been fine. Consultation was always made with the trade and various interested parties whose advice has proved most valuable in the improvement of abattoir services generally. Occasionally we may still have some complaints but these have been well taken care of. The Urban Council has a responsibility to maintain a high standard of services and at the same time it has to check the limit and consider the priority of the Urban Council subsidy in this area.

The increase of abattoir fees during the past few months have been accepted by the Trade. The increase of rentals of pig and goat pens have attracted the most opposition even though the Council subsidizes by nearly 60 cents per square foot per month on the costs of running them.

Coming to the subject of markets, although the shopping habits of housewives have gradually changed, the markets and fresh provision shops still play a very important part in serving the daily food-shopping requirements.

The Urban Council runs 41 markets in which there are over 2,600 stalls selling a wide range of food under different conditions. This is an area where the Urban Council subsidizes the public, and the trade by approximately $1.1 million per year excluding, of course, capital costs, involving a staff of 342 people, excluding those who provide the support services. Our abattoir services provide food under very hygienic conditions at the source and it is also the Council's responsibility to see that the food for men must be marketed also under hygienic conditions.

The eating habits of the community are definitely changing in these years though at very slow speed. Under these circumstances, it is now convinced that markets are not likely to be phased out altogether in the next 10 years or so. With this in view, the Urban Council will still demolish old markets and construct new ones.

For the purpose of revenue and to recoup the cost of running the markets, less subsidies should probably be given in this area in the coming years. In fact, if the Urban Council acts like an ordinary landlord, reasonable returns should be expected by renting these market stalls. For these reasons, therefore, on my part, I like to see that more fresh provision shops should be encouraged to be licensed in our urban areas under very strict conditions to serve the housewives shopping for food. If fresh provisions are provided in supermarkets in greater numbers under strict hygienic conditions I think the habits of housewives will be changed in the course of time and this will also help to reduce and diversify hawker concentration.

Then may I discuss something about the Urban Council finances.

Next year we are budgeting for a total expenditure of $447 million of which $284 million would be on personal emoluments (over 63%), representing an overall increase of nearly 13% over that of the last year. Therefore, serious and constant attention should be paid to our personnel management. In the commercial community, good managements surely would have already started some investigations on the possible intelligent use of computers and mechanization in certain office procedures. This should also apply to the Urban Council.

There was a re-organization in 1973 of the Urban Services Department which is our executive arm and I feel that in the coming year or the year after next, some kind of evaluation exercise should be made to check especially the possibility of overlapping of employment of work force some employed on functional basis and some on regional basis.

The increase of payment of personal emoluments is due partly to the fact that the Council will take up additional responsibilities and thereby impose an additional staff requirement as well as to internal

# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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