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MR FORSGATE (in English): -Well, I would hate to agree to any percentage being adequate either for Hong Kong or, for that matter, Kowloon. But for I think the steps the Council is taking towards making a bid for a larger Hong Kong, the 38% mentioned does sound inadequate for the population. portion of Victoria Barracks were indicated in the previous point and indicated the sympathy which all Members of this Council feel for your views.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Any other supplementaries? Mr Howard YOUNG?
MR HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in English):-But is it not likely that any request we make is likely to be fruitless because whatever percentage we suggest is outside of our jurisdiction anyway?
MR FORSGATE (in English):-Mr Chairman, as you and other Members of this Council will know, there have been no stoppers from putting in a very strong bid. If I may refresh your memory, I will say that, on the Whitfield Barracks site, which is almost entirely allocated in its original specification to non-recreational purposes, the story which now unfolds is quite a different one from what it would be. So my advice to my colleagues is not to give up without a much stronger fight.
9 MR KIM Y. S. CHAM asked the following question (in English):-Is the opportunity being taken to make Hong Kong a better city to live in by providing more public open spaces for leisure and recreation as well as other civic amenities?
MR H. M. G. FORSGATE, CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied (in English): --The answer to Mr CHAM's question has been anticipated by the Chairman's earlier statement which clearly indicated the Council's policy to provide more public open space, sports and recreational facilities as well as all the other civic amenities required by a progressive city. And, with your indulgence.
Mr Chairman, I do not propose to reiterate what you have already said. I would, however, like to mention again, as I have just said in the answer of that supplementary, the action taken by us all, all the Members of the Council, to obtain the bulk of the old Whitfield Barracks which has now become Kowloon Park. It was the Chairman's personal drive which changed what was going to be a small portion of the old barracks as proposed by the Government into what will be a very large and pleasant 'lung' in the densely populated area of Tsim Sha Tsui.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you.
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35
MR CHAM (in English):-Can I refer to Mr Forsgate's earlier suggestion of making strong bids on behalf of the Council, has this Council had the opportunity to consider whether the amount of open space for a particular district of Hong Kong is inadequate or not?
MR FORSGATE (in English):—Mr Chairman, the Council has the opportunity to consider the amenity planning zones as they come up, for example, tomorrow's Planning and Development Select Committee will be considering the zoning plan for Wan Chai and it is then up to Members of various select committees as it goes in due course to the Standing Committee, to consider what has been envisaged for the amenity areas in this particular zone, and put in bids not only for amenity areas, but all sorts of other requirements covering the Council activities such as refuse disposal points, markets and so on. In fact, I will say, Mr Chairman, we are given ample opportunity but, of course, that does not mean to say that we got everything we want.
MR CHAM (in English):--We are making bids for trees which take a long time to grow. Can we bid for any greenery or particular green belts in view of the fact that so many trees are being felled for construction purposes?
MR FORSGATE (in English):-I would like to say, Mr Chairman, that any new land, for example Victoria Barracks, which is allocated to the Council, planning of the particular area will take into consideration all the existing amenity plots.
10 DR P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):—The Council's policy on light refreshment restaurants was recently criticized by a magistrate. For the benefit of the courts and the public in general, could a statement on the Council's policy in this respect be made?
MR EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied (in Cantonese): -I would like to thank Dr P. C. WONG for raising this question, which gives me an opportunity to explain to the public the Council's policy on food hygiene and the differences between 'a light refreshment restaurant' and 'a general restaurant' as well as the respective restrictions on them.
In response to the comments made by a certain magistrate of the Western Magistracy on 'light refreshment restaurant licence', the Urban Services Department immediately issued a statement in the form of a press release the following day refuting the magistrate's criticism. Several days later, the Director of Urban Services also issued a reply to a letter appearing in the Readers' Column of the South China Morning Post on the subject of 'light refreshment restaurant licence'. It can be said that the statement and the reply
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MR FORSGATE (in English): -Well, I would hate to agree to any percentage being adequate either for Hong Kong or, for that matter, Kowloon. But for I think the steps the Council is taking towards making a bid for a larger Hong Kong, the 38% mentioned does sound inadequate for the population. portion of Victoria Barracks were indicated in the previous point and in dicated the sympathy which all Members of this Council feel for your views.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Any other supplementaries? Mr Howard YOUNG?
MR HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in English):-But is it not likely that any request we make is likely to be fruitless because whatever percentage we suggest is outside of our jurisdiction anyway?
MR FORSGATE (in English):-Mr Chairman, as you and other Members of this Council will know, there have been no stoppers from putting in a very strong bid. If I may refresh your memory, I will say that, on the Whitfield Barracks site, which is almost entirely allocated in its original specification to non-recreational purposes, the story which now unfolds is quite a different one from what it would be. So my advice to my colleagues is not to give up without a much stronger fight.
9 MR KIM Y. S. CHAM asked the following question (in English):-Is the opportunity being taken to make Hong Kong a better city to live in by providing more public open spaces for leisure and recreation as well as other civic amenities?
MR H. M. G. FORSGATE, CHAIRMAN OF THE PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SELECT COMMITTEE, replied (in English): --The answer to Mr CHAM's question has been anticipated by the Chairman's earlier statement which clearly indicated the Council's policy to provide more public open space, sports and recreational facilities as well as all the other civic amenities required by a progressive city. And, with your indulgence.
Mr Chairman, I do not propose to reiterate what you have already said. I would, however, like to mention again, as I have just said in the answer of that supplementary, the action taken by us all, all the Members of the Council, to obtain the bulk of the old Whitfield Barracks which has now become Kowloon Park. It was the Chairman's personal drive which changed what was going to be a small portion of the old barracks as proposed by the Government into what will be a very large and pleasant 'lung' in the densely populated area of Tsim Sha Tsui.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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35
MR CHAM (in English):-Can I refer to Mr Forsgate's earlier suggestion of making strong bids on behalf of the Council, has this Council had the opportunity to consider whether the amount of open space for a particular district of Hong Kong is inadequate or not?
MR FORSGATE (in English):—Mr Chairman, the Council has the opportunity to consider the amenity planning zones as they come up, for example, to- morrow's Planning and Development Select Committee will be considering the zoning plan for Wan Chai and it is then up to Members of various select committees as it goes in due course to the Standing Committee, to consider what has been envisaged for the amenity areas in this particular zone, and put in bids not only for amenity arcas, but all sorts of other requirements covering the Council activities such as refuse disposal points, markets and so on. In fact, I will say, Mr Chairman, we are given ample opportunity but, of course, that does not mean to say that we got everything we want.
MR CHAM (in English):--We are making bids for trees which take a long time to grow. Can we bid for any greenery or particular green belts in view of the fact that so many trees are being felled for construction purposes?
MR FORSGATE (in English):-I would like to say, Mr Chairman, that any new land, for example Victoria Barracks, which is allocated to the Council, planning of the particular area will take into consideration all the existing amenity plots.
10 DR P. C. WONG asked the following question (in English):—The Council's policy on light refreshment restaurants was recently criticized by a magistrate. For the benefit of the courts and the public in general, could a statement on the Council's policy in this respect be made?
MR EDMUND W. H. CHOW, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE Select COM- MITTEE, replied (in Cantonese): -I would like to thank Dr P. C. WONG for raising this question, which gives me an opportunity to explain to the public the Council's policy on food hygiene and the differences between 'a light refreshment restaurant' and 'a general restaurant' as well as the respective restrictions on them.
In response to the comments made by a certain magistrate of the Western Magistracy on 'light refreshment restaurant licence', the Urban Services Department immediately issued a statement in the form of a press release the following day refuting the magistrate's criticism. Several days later, the Director of Urban Services also issued a reply to a letter appearing in the Readers' Column of the South China Morning Post on the subject of 'light refreshment restaurant licence'. It can be said that the statement and the reply
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