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tons a year assuming that they are used during normal working hours. To now, they have managed to cope with increasing demand, which is just under 10,000 cremations each year, by working extra hours.
A new crematorium at Diamond Hill will be completed by August this year, with an annual capacity of 5,280 cremations which is 4,000 more than that of the present old crematorium which will be demolished. There is provision for expansion at this new crematorium to allow an additional 2,000 cremations a year is required.
The Government is building a new crematorium at Kwai Chung with a capacity of 4,000 cremations per year plus provision for expansion to 6,000 a year. This crematorium will be in operation by September this year. Also by 1981/82, two more crematoria with a similar capacity will be built at Sha Tin and Tuen Mun.
All this means that, by 1982, the capacity of crematoria in the urban areas and the New Territories combined will be approximately 25,200 with provision for a further 8,000 cremations a year if required.
It is the aim of both the Urban Council and the Government to achieve a ratio of 65% cremations to 35% burials by 1985. To achieve this, capacity to deal with 22,000 cremations annually by 1985 is required. From the figures given in this reply, it will be seen that adequate provision for crematoria has been made for the present and for the foreseeable future.
MR CHAN (in English):—Mr Chairman, may I know whether members of the public have to wait four days for cremation?
MRS HO (in English):—Mr Chairman, I understand that was quite common practice. That was because the Cape Collinson Crematorium was under construction to improve it, but I understand that it is much less now.
MR B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Mr Chairman, the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee mentions a crematorium planned for Kwai Chung in the New Territories. Is she satisfied that the mix working of the Urban Council in the Urban Areas and the Director of Urban Services in the New Territories is not delaying cremations and suitable disposal of the dead?
CHAIRMAN (in English):—You are asking for an opinion. (Laughter). Nevertheless, Mrs Ho, you might wish to express it.
MRS HO (in English):—Well, I am sure Mr BERNACCHI realises that the new crematoria are in the New Territories which is not within the jurisdiction of this Council, but if he is asking for an opinion, I will say that with the movement of the population away from the urban areas, they will meet public need.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
STATEMENT BY MRS E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE
MRS ELLIOTT (in English):—Mr Chairman, from the opening of the City Hall Library in 1962, the libraries programme expanded slowly at first, gathering momentum after the Urban Council became financially autonomous. By the end of the financial year 1976, the Council had full branch libraries at Waterloo Road, Pok Fu Lam, Yau Ma Tei, Ping Shek, Aberdeen, and Kwun Tong, in addition to the main library at the City Hall. Of these seven libraries, only one has had to be closed down: when the lease for the Aberdeen premises expired they were sold by the landlord.
The libraries programme has expanded both numerically and in depth in the two years from 1977 to the present time:
In August 1977, a full branch library was opened at Sham Shui Po.
In the same month, a mini library began at Western.
In March 1978, Hong Kong was given a mobile library, while the first Urban Council mobile library which had served the Sham Shui Po District was diverted to other areas of Kowloon.
In September 1978, the new Mei Foo Sun Chuen Library opened to serve the people of North Kowloon.
In January 1979, the Wan Chai Library was opened to relieve pressures on the City Hall Library and to provide better services in Hong Kong. In April 1979, the first library housed in an Urban Council Market was opened at Chai Wan.
Thus in the space of two years the Council has almost doubled the number of libraries established during the previous fifteen years.
Not only have new libraries been added, but new equipment has been provided and new activities organized. Extension activities in all branch libraries aim at attracting those residents with less formal education than the usual library user. New activities require new equipment, and music listening libraries have been set up in the Yau Ma Tei and Kwun Tong Libraries. The Council has also begun to provide video-cassette equipment, commencing with the Yau Ma Tei Library where space is more liberal.
Planning continues, and within the current year a library will be opened in our own Urban Council Market building at North Point. Further libraries sited in our own buildings are planned for in the next five years at Aberdeen, Eastern, Wan Chai, Western, Ho Man Tin, To Kwa Wan, Ngau Chi Wan, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin, and Sham Shui Po.
Expansion requires trained librarians, and steps are being taken to set up local training courses in librarianship.
If money is to be well used, we must seek to save on rent by setting up libraries in our own premises.
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Page 29 of 136
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
tions a year assuming that they are used during normal working hours. to now, they have managed to cope with increasing demand, which is just under 10 000 cremations each year, by working extra hours.
A new crematorium at Diamond Hill will be completed by August th year, with an annual capacity of 5 280 cremations which is 4 000 greas than that of the present old crematorium which will be demolished. The is provision for expansion at this new crematorium to allow an addition
2 000 cremations a year is required.
The Government is building a new crematorium at Kwai Chung with capacity of 4 000 cremations per year plus provision for expansion to 6 a year. This crematorium will be in operation by September this year. Al by 1981/82, two more crematoria with a similar capacity will be built
Sha Tin and Tuen Mun.
All this means that, by 1982, the capacity of crematoria in the urba areas and the New Territories combined will be approximately 25 200 w provision for a further 8 000 cremations a year if required.
It is the aim of both the Urban Council and the Government to achie a ratio of 65% cremations to 35% burials by 1985. To achieve this, capacity to deal with 22 000 cremations annually by 1985 is required. Fro the figures given in this reply, it will be seen that adequate provision crematoria has been made for the present and for the foreseeable futur
MR CHAN (in English):-Mr Chairman, may I know whether members the public have to wait four days for cremation?
f
MRS HO (in English):-Mr Chairman, I understand that was quite comma practice. That was because the Cape Collinson Crematorium was under construction to improve it, but I understand that it is much less now.
MR B. A. BERNACCHI (in English):—Mr Chairman, the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee mentions a crematorium plane. for Kwai Chung in the New Territories. Is she satisfied that the mix working of the Urban Council in the Urban Areas and the Director Urban Services in the New Territories is not delaying cremations and suitabl disposal of the dead?
CHAIRMAN (in English): -You are asking for an opinion. (Laughter). Newer theless, Mrs Ho, you might wish to express it.
MRS Ho (in English):—Well, I am sure Mr BERNACCHI realises that the new crematoria are in the New Territories which is not within the jurisdiction of this Council, but if he is asking for an opinion, I will say that with the movement of the population away from the urban areas, they will meet public need.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
STATEMENT BY MRS E. ELLIOTT, CHAIRMAN OF THE
LIBRARIES SELECT COMMITTEE
MRS ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr Chairman, from the opening of the City Hall Library in 1962, the libraries programme expanded slowly at first, gathering momentum after the Urban Council became financially autonomous. By the end of the financial year 1976, the Council had full branch libraries at Waterloo Road, Pok Fu Lam, Yau Ma Tei, Ping Shek, Aberdeen and Kwun Tong, in addition to the main library at the City Hall. Of these seven libraries, only one has had to be closed down: when the lease for the Aberdeen premises expired they were sold by the landlord.
The libraries programme has expanded both numerically and in depth in the two years from 1977 to the present time:
In August 1977, a full branch library was opened at Sham Shui Po.
In the same month, a mini library began at Western.
In March, 1978, Hong Kong was given a mobile library, while the first Urban Council mobile library which had served the Sham Shui Po District was diverted to other areas of Kowloon.
In September 1978, the new Mei Foo Sun Chuen Library opened to serve
the people of North Kowloon.
In January 1979, the Wan Chai Library was opened to relieve pressures on the City Hall Library and to provide better services in Hong Kong. In April 1979, the first library housed in an Urban Council Market was
opened at Chai Wan.
Thus in the space of two years the Council has almost doubled the number of libraries established during the previous fifteen years.
Not only have new libraries been added, but new equipment has been provided and new activities organized. Extension activities in all branch libraries aim at attracting those residents with less formal education than the usual library user. New activities require new equipment, and music listening libraries have been set up in the Yau Ma Tei and Kwun Tong Libraries. The Council has also begun to provide video-cassette equipment, commencing with the Yau Ma Tei Library where space is more liberal.
Planning continues, and within the current year a library will be opened in our own Urban Council Market building at North Point. Further libraries sited in our own buildings are planned for in the next five years at Aberdeen, Eastern, Wan Chai, Western, Ho Man Tin, To Kwa Wan, Ngau Chi Wan, Mong Kok, Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin and Sham Shui Po.
Expansion requires trained librarians, and steps are being taken to set up local training courses in librarianship.
If money is to be well used, we must seek to save on rent by setting up libraries in our own premises.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.