1979 — Page 19

Page 19 of 136

PAPER

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and

Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of March, 1979.

QUESTIONS

1 MRS E. ELLIOTT asked the following question (in English):-Most literate people in Hong Kong read newspapers. This need is catered for in new

estates run by the Housing Authority by setting up newspaper kiosks. Why is no provision made for residents of new private development areas in various parts of Hong Kong and Kowloon, for their convenience? Could the Council consider issuing licences to persons interested in operating newspaper pitches, preferably properly built kiosks, in new areas?

MR SHUM CHOI-SANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE STREET TRADERS SELECT COM. MITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question refers to the provision of retail outlets for newspapers in new private development areas which I take to mean new private housing estates and mixed commercial and residential developments in newly opened-up areas.

Many new private sector housing estates have their own shopping centres which are intended to meet all the needs of the residents. However, even where this is not the case, the roads and open areas within these estates are under private management and the Council has no authority to delineate pitches or to construct kiosks in them for the sale by hawkers of newspapers or any other commodities.

If there is a demand for newspapers in the areas concerned, and if the shopkeepers in or near these estates do not sell newspapers or if there is no newspaper delivery service in the areas, I hope that Mrs ELLIOTT will provide me with details of the places she has in mind.

If more information is made available we may raise this matter in the Street Traders Select Committee in order to consider whether licences should be issued to persons interested in operating newspaper pitches or as itinerant newspaper sellers.

MRS ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr Chairman, may I ask the Chairman of the Street Traders Select Committee if he will make sure that this subject goes on the next agenda, or as early as possible, of the Street Traders Select Committee?

MR SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr Chairman, of course, provided Mrs ELLIOTT can provide me with the necessary information, I would be happy to raise the matter in the relevant select committee. Otherwise, Mrs ELLIOTT can raise it.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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MR HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr Chairman, when we are discussing the matter of newspaper hawking, would it be possible for us to consider that in most of the housing estates most of the newspaper kiosks are not opened early in the morning, but people require newspapers very early in the morning, especially in cases where restaurants are plentiful? CHAIRMAN (in English):-That does not comply with Standing Order 12(15), but I will ask Mr SHUM to answer it nevertheless.

MR SHUM (in Cantonese):-Mr Chairman, perhaps Mrs ELLIOTT can raise it at our next meeting and provide me with more information. I think Mr YOUNG can also raise the same question in the same committee to see whether we should issue more hawker licences to these special areas.

2 MRS E. ELLIOTT asked the following question (in English):—A complaint was recently made in the press about the reservation of box seats for Ùrban Councillors, and the fact that they are often left empty. Could some comment on the situation be made, since the correspondent had to complain about receiving none through the press?

MR F. K. Hu, CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-There are two boxes in the Concert Hall of the City Hall, each with six seats.

When the Concert Hall is hired by an organization, the boxes are available to the organization under controlled conditions and are not used by the Council.

When the Concert Hall is used for a function presented jointly by the Council and another organization, each has the use of one box which is reserved for guests and representatives of the hosting organization.

When the Concert Hall is used for a function presented solely by the Council, both boxes are reserved for guests--and I mean those public-spirited people who assist the Council throughout the year-and Councillors who act as hosts.

Seats in the two boxes are not offered for sale but, as stated above, are used under controlled conditions. The reason for this is that past experience has shown that the uncontrolled use of the boxes has been badly abused.

MRS ELLIOTT (in English):-I would like to ask a supplementary from the Chairman of the Cultural Affairs Select Committee. My question was a complaint about seats being left empty. It wasn't asking what the seats are used for normally, but why sometimes they are left empty. Is there any possibility of checking up from the organizations, or from the Councillors, how many seats are going to be used and let the others, instead of just