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know English, you would have to spend more money from the limited allocation that you receive as an allowance and I wonder if Dr. CHAM's Select Committee could consider my point, i.e. in future if we have somebody who knows only Chinese, additional sum could be paid to him to use as translator fee, so that we can be more equal?
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I am sure the Urban Council has equal treatment for all members of the public whether they know only English or only Chinese. Up to date, no Councillor has requested that Chinese translation be provided for him or her. If such a request should arise, then this Council, and also the Administration Select Committee, would consider increasing the allowance for translation, subject of course to the agreement of all Councillors.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, in 1973, before Mr. CHAM joined us as a Councillor, I remember very well all the proceedings. What I am talking about now is the future policy of the Whole Council because he is saying all the time that we are now using Chinese and English on an equal basis.
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, if any one Councillor should raise the point that he has the need for such service, I am sure the Select Committee and the Urban Council would give careful consideration to his request.
MR. HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, if the Urban Council's point is when a certain Councillor knows only Chinese and does not know English, the Urban Council will consider giving him an allowance to employ a translator, then would the Urban Council face the other side of the coin? Some Councillors know only English and do not know Chinese. If they put up the same request, would we consider giving them the same treatment?
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, on the question of simultaneous interpretation. If the need arises I am sure the Urban Council would give it careful consideration because up to now the documents we discussed and also the matters we discussed in the Standing Committee are in English. I am sure the situation that Mr. YOUNG mentioned will not arise in the near future. However, if somebody should request Chinese interpretation we will try our best to provide a Chinese Language Officer. As I have said earlier, in our present Select Committees we do provide some interpretation services for our Members so that they can join in the discussion just as well. They would not be hampered because of the lack of familiarity with one language.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Before we proceed to the next question, I think I ought to make it clear from the Chair that when we mention Chinese we refer to ''. (Laughter). Is that understood? Good. Thank you.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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2. MR. HOWARD YOUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese): What have been the findings so far on the serious leakage of water at Victoria Park swimming pool? Is it possible to say at this stage whether the closure of the pool will extend over a longer period than expected?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the findings so far on the serious leakage of water at Victoria Park Swimming Pool and whether the closure will extend over a longer period than expected.
In answer to the first part of the question, the source of the leakage was located on the 14 May 1980 after several weeks' investigatory work. The cause of the leakage was a cracked pipe running underneath the deep end of the main pool to the filtration plant.
Work is now in hand to provide a new outlet from the pool with a new pipe to by-pass the old outlet system. The speed at which this work can be carried out is limited by the fact that only one or two men at a time can work in the confined space below ground level. Progress is also hampered by the presence of sub-soil water which has to be continuously pumped out during the day and which rises to a height of four or five feet in the working area during the night.
In answer to the second part of the question, it was not possible to make an estimate of the period of closure until the cause of the leakage had been found. Now that the cause had been located, the Government Maintenance Surveyor has informed the Department that it should be possible to provide a new outlet system and open the pool to the public by early July. However, it will be necessary to block off the area beyond the deep end of the pool, which includes access to the diving boards, to allow an underground chamber to be built. The public will be inconvenienced by this work but the chamber is a necessary facility to allow future inspection and maintenance of the outlet pipes.
The Government Maintenance Surveyor is unable to give an accurate estimate of the time needed to complete this work, as detailed drawings have not yet been prepared. He hopes however that it should be completed by early September 1980.
Happily the Chai Wan Swimming Pool is now open to the public and the Morrison Hill Swimming Pool is scheduled to be re-opened on completion of maintenance work on 23 June 1980.
THE HON. F. K. Hu (in English):—Mr. Chairman, can I be advised of the reason which caused the crack of the pipe. Is it due to the material of the pipe or because of the sinking of the pool structure which exerts pressure on the pipe?
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know English, you would have to spend more money from the limited alloca tion that you receive as an allowance and I wonder if Dr. CHAM's Select Committee could consider my point, i.e. in future if we have somebody who knows only Chinese, additional sum could be paid to him to use as translator fee, so that we can be more equal?
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I am sure the Urban Council has equal treatment for all members of the public whether they know only English or only Chinese. Up to date, no Councillor has requested that Chinese translation be provided for him or her. If such a request should arise, then this Council, and also the Administration Select Committee, would consider increasing the allowance for translation, subject of course to the agreement of all Councillors.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, in 1973, before Mr. CHAM joined us as a Councillor, I remember very well all the proceedings. What I am talking about now is the future policy of the Whole Council because he is saying all the time that we are now using Chinese and English on an equal basis.
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, if any one Councillor should raise the point that he has the need for such service, I am sure the Select Committee and the Urban Council would give careful consideration to his request.
MR. HOWARD H. W. YOUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, if the Urban Council's point is when a certain Councillor knows only Chinese and does not know English, the Urban Council will consider giving him an allowance to employ a translator, then would the Urban Council face the other side of the coin? Some Councillors know only English and do not know Chinese. If they put up the same request, would we consider giving them the same treatment?
DR. CHAM (in Cantonese): -Mr. Chairman, on the question of simultaneous interpretation. If the need arises I am sure the Urban Council would give it careful consideration because up to now the documents we discussed and also the matters we discussed in the Standing Committee are in English. I am sure the situation that Mr. YOUNG mentioned will not arise in the near future. However, if somebody should request Chinese interpretation we will try our best to provide a Chinese Language Officer. As I have said earlier, in our present Select Committees we do provide some interpretation services for our Members so that they can join in the discussion just as well. They would not be hampered because of the lack of familiarity with one language.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Before we proceed to the next question, I think I ought to make it clear from the Chair that when we mention Chinese we refer to ''. (Laughter). Is that understood? Good. Thank you.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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27
2. MR. HOWARD YOUNG asked the following question (in Cantonese): What have been the findings so far on the serious leakage of water at Victoria Park swimming pool? Is it possible to say at this stage whether the closure of the pool will extend over a longer period than expected?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-This question concerns the findings so far on the serious leakage of water at Victoria Park Swimming Pool and whether the closure will extend over a longer period than expected.
In answer to the first part of the question, the source of the leakage was located on the 14 May 1980 after several weeks' investigatory work. The cause of the leakage was a cracked pipe running underneath the deep end of the main pool to the filtration plant.
Work is now in hand to provide a new outlet from the pool with a new pipe to by-pass the old outlet system. The speed at which this work can be carried out is limited by the fact that only one or two men at a time can work in the confined space below ground level. Progress is also hampered by the presence of sub-soil water which has to be continuously pumped out during the day and which rises to a height of four or five feet in the working area during the night.
In answer to the second part of the question, it was not possible to make an estimate of the period of closure until the cause of the leakage had been found. Now that the cause had been located, the Government Maintenance Surveyor has informed the Department that it should be possible to provide a new outlet system and open the pool to the public by early July. However, it will be necessary to block off the area beyond the deep end of the pool, which includes access to the diving boards, to allow an underground chamber to be built. The public will be inconvenienced by this work but the chamber is a necessary facility to allow future inspection and maintenance of the outlet pipes.
The Government Maintenance Surveyor is unable to give an accurate estimate of the time needed to complete this work, as detailed drawings have not yet been prepared. He hopes however that it should be completed by early September 1980.
Happily the Chai Wan Swimming Pool is now open to the public and the Morrison Hill Swimming Pool is scheduled to be re-opened on completion of maintenance work on 23 June 1980.
THE HON. F. K. Hu (in English):—Mr. Chairman, can I be advised of the reason which caused the crack of the pipe. Is it due to the material of the pipe or because of the sinking of the pool structure which exerts pressure on the pipe?
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