Page 26
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question (in English):-Why is it that the toilets on the second floor of the City Hall, Low Block, are temporarily closed to the public most of the time? Who authorises such closure and on what grounds? Is such closure related to the fact that the Administrative Office of the Cultural Services has been moved to the second floor, near to the toilets, and if so, what are the proposed permanent arrangements?
MR F. K. HU, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question deals with the toilets on the second floor of the City Hall Low Block. These toilets are always open to the public, except on rare occasions when they were closed for maintenance or renovation. Such closure has therefore nothing to do with the Administrative Office of the Cultural Services Division which is on the first floor of the City Hall Low Block.
MR BERNACCHI (in English):-Mr Chairman, I have seen the notice myself and it has been reported to me that the toilets in recent weeks have been closed on several occasions. Is it that they are being renovated or what are the particular reasons for the recent closures?
MR HU (in English):- Mr Chairman, as far as I understand, the toilets on the second floor have been open all the time as there has been no maintenance in recent months.
MR BERNACCHI (in English):-I just want to make a personal statement that I beg to differ from personal experience.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-May I ask whether it is possible that 'second floor' might be a literal translation of ""? If so, it would have meant the toilets on the first floor which are in fact differently treated. Could it be so? (Laughter)
MR BERNACCHI (in English):-No, I am referring particularly to the toilets that are usually used by the audiences of the theatre. They have been temporarily closed.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mr Hu will clarify the position again.
MR HU (in English):-Mr Chairman, the toilets on the second floor referred to in Mr BERNACCHI's question are on the floor where there is the City Hall Restaurant and those toilets have been in use all the time.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Perhaps you might now wish to clarify the position of toilets on the first floor to remove any doubt.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR HU (in English):-Mr Chairman, if that is a supplementary question I will clarify it.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-To indulge Mr BERNACCHI, I will allow that supplementary question. Please proceed. (Laughter)
MR HU (in English):-If the question relates in fact to toilets on the first floor of the City Hall Low Block, the answer can be traced back to 1974 when the City Hall Select Committee noted that the toilets on the ground floor of the Low Block were used more by outsiders than by City Hall audiences, and the powder rooms in the ladies' toilets by loiterers from time to time. In order to deter such abuses and to keep the toilets clean and fresh for audiences, the Select Committee decided to close the toilets on the ground floor during the day and open them only when there were functions at the Concert Hall.
In September 1974, the Committee reviewed the situation and noted the improvement in the sanitary condition of these toilets, and decided that the arrangement should continue. The area now used as the Cultural Services Division Administrative Offices used to be part of the former first floor toilets. When these toilets were closed for conversion into office accommodation in 1975, toilet facilities in the Low Block fell short and it was necessary to open the toilets on the ground floor all day.
When the first floor toilets were reopened after the conversion was completed in November 1975, trouble from loiterers developed in the toilets on the first floor which were in a relatively secluded location. An alternative arrangement was therefore implemented, whereby these toilets were closed during the day and opened only when there were functions at the Theatre on the first floor, in the spirit of the Committee's previous decision. Significant improvement has been noted and, as the remaining toilets are adequate to serve users of City Hall facilities, this arrangement is therefore continued. The sign "TEMPORARILY CLOSED" may be misleading. As a permanent arrangement, a notice will be placed outside these toilets, to indicate that they are open only when there are functions at the Theatre.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. Mrs ELLIOTT please.
MRS E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr Chairman, I was going to ask a point of clarification because I presume Mr BERNACCHI meant the first floor. I confirm what Mr BERNACCHI said and would like to ask if something could be done about this because it sends people in a virtual chase. If you go upstairs, it is bound to be downstairs opened. If you go downstairs it is bound to be upstairs opened. I think we should have a clarification as to when people can use the toilets.
19
1
18
Page 27
Page 26 of 135]
19
1
18
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
5 MR B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question (in English):-Why
is it that the toilets on the second floor of the City Hall, Low Block, 'temporarily closed to the public most of the time?
Who authorises such closure and on what grounds?
are
Is such closure related to the fact that the Administrative Office of the Cultural Services has been moved to the second floor, near to the toilets, and if so, what are the proposed permanent arrangements?
MR F. K. HU, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question deals with the toilets on the second floor of the City Hall Low Block.
These toilets are always open to the public, except on rare occasions when they were closed for maintenance or renovation. Such closure has therefor nothing to do with the Administrative Office of the Cultural Services Division which is on the first floor of the City Hall Low Block.
MR BERNACCHI (in English):--Mr Chairman, I have seen the notice myself and it has been reported to me that the toilets in recent weeks have been closed on several occasions. Is it that they are being renovated or what are the particular reasons for the recent closures?
MR HU (in English):- Mr Chairman, as far as I understand, the toilets on the second floor have been open all the time as there has been no main- tenance in recent months.
MR BERNACCHI (in English):-I just want to make a personal statement that I beg to differ from personal experience.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-May I ask whether it is possible that 'second floor' might be a literal translation of ""? If so, it would have meant the toilets on the first floor which are in fact differently treated. Could it be so? (Laughter)
MR BERNACCHI (in English):-No, I am referring particularly to the toilets that are usually used by the audiences of the theatre. They have been tem- porarily closed.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Mr Hu will clarify the position again.
MR HU (in English):—Mr Chairman, the toilets on the second floor referred to in Mr BERNACCHI's question are on the floor where there is the City Hall Restaurant and those toilets have been in use all the time.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Perhaps you might now wish to clarify the position of toilets on the first floor to remove any doubt.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR HU (in English):-Mr Chairman, if that is a supplementary question I
will clarify it.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-To indulge Mr BERNACCHI, I will allow that supplementary question. Please proceed. (Laughter)
MR HU (in English):-If the question relates in fact to toilets on the first floor of the City Hall Low Block, the answer can be traced back to 1974 when the City Hall Select Committee noted that the toilets on the ground floor of the Low Block were used more by outsiders than by City Hall audiences, and the powder rooms in the ladies' toilets by loiterers from time to time.
In order to deter such abuses and to keep the toilets clean and fresh for audiences, the Select Committee decided to close the toilets on the ground floor during the day and open them only when there were functions at the Concert Hall.
In September 1974, the Committee reviewed the situation and noted the improvement in the sanitary condition of these toilets, and decided that the arrangement should continue.
The area now used as the Cultural Services Division Administrative Offices used to be part of the former first floor toilets. When these toilets were closed for conversion into office accommodation in 1975, toilet facilities in the Low Block fell short and it was necessary to open the toilets on the
ground floor all day.
When the first floor toilets were reopened after the conversion was com- pleted in November 1975, trouble from loiterers developed in the toilets on the first floor which were in a relatively secluded location. An alternative arrangement was therefore implemented, whereby these toilets were closed during the day and opened only when there were functions at the Theatre on the first floor, in the spirit of the Committee's previous decision. Significant improvement has been noted and, as the remaining toilets are adequate to serve users of City Hall facilities, this arrangement is therefore continued. The sign "TEMPORARILY CLOSED' may be misleading. As a permanent arrangement, a notice will be placed outside these toilets, to indicate that they are open only when there are functions at the Theatre.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you. Mrs ELLIOTT please.
MRS E. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr Chairman, I was going to ask a point of clarification because I presume Mr BERNACCHI meant the first floor. I confirm what Mr BERNACCHI said and would like to ask if something could be done about this because it sends people in a virtual chase. If you go up- stairs, it is bound to be downstairs opened. If you go downstairs it is bound to be upstairs opened. I think we should have a clarification as to when people can use the toilets.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.