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I would also like to speak on behalf of the Council's five thousand staff members. It is absurd that the Council has to pay the staff whom it has no right to recruit. However, so long as they are working under the Council, the latter should try its best to fight on their behalf for more benefits and welfare. I hope the leading members of the Council will care for them more so that they will find their jobs more meaningful, more respectable and be ready to afford them more devotion. Thus, their turnover rate will be lowered and more diligent, ambitious young persons will be attracted to join us.

Finally, I wish to reiterate that I am always ready and willing to accept and support any sagacious proposals made by our fellow Councillors.

MR. TSIN SAI-NIN (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, here comes again the Urban Council Annual Conventional Debate which is, in some ways, different from the Council's monthly meeting. In this Conventional Debate, members can, apart from reviewing the work of the Council in the past year, voice their opinions on topics of public concern for the attention of the Government. Now that Sir Murray is going to leave us after his ten years' governorship, Sir Edward YOUDE is going to take his place soon. Before the arrival of his successor, the general public are much concerned about what our future administration will be. It has been nine years since I was first elected Urban Councillor, and I would like to take this opportunity to give my views concerning the problems existing in Hong Kong.

Other than the problem of how the situation should be handled on the expiry of the New Territories lease in 1997, the most serious problem existing in Hong Kong relates to economy and inflation. While the lease problem has to be solved through diplomatic channels, the latter involves the prosperity and stability of our society.

As the local economy has all along been influenced behind-the-scenes by big financial groups, the general public have little or no say at all. The disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor is so extreme that there is an inherent danger of a social crisis impending over us. Some people may even think what the Government is doing is to indulge the rich and suppress the poor. Inflation makes it impossible for an average wage earner to catch up with the ever rising cost of living. When he and his family cannot overcome the difficulties they face from time to time, they may eventually take the risk of doing something against law and order.

Secondly, there is the problem of public order and violence. Because our education system falls short of expectations, people are too keen on money- making and pleasure-seeking. Moreover, as most of the youngsters do not have the concept of traditional morals, they vie with one another for personal interests by hook or by crook. This situation is further aggravated by the extreme disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor. As a result, there have been more and more cases of violence giving rise to public disorder. If the

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measures adopted by the Government fail to rectify such a situation, and if the legislation enacted can give only a negative rather than a positive effect, then, even with much more money from the taxpayers spent on recruiting more policemen, it will be impossible to put the situation under control. When the problem is getting more and more serious it may result in social unrest or even disturbances.

Thirdly, the system of social security in Hong Kong fails to inspire the people with a sense of belonging. Though the revenue of the Government can adequately cover the expenditure, people are not well protected against unemployment or sickness and no security whatsoever is provided for their family members. In the race of adversity, they have no one to turn to. There are neither pension schemes nor housing arrangements provided for the aged. The meagre relief provided for the unfortunate people under social welfare schemes or relief funds fail to inspire them with a sense of belonging. The Junior Secondary Scaling Test too continues to make things difficult for the younger generation. The above reasons explain why people do not care to identify themselves with a sense of belonging to Hong Kong.

Lastly, I want to express my views on Hong Kong's housing problem. Despite Sir Murray's endeavours, housing problem has not yet been completely solved during the past ten years. Not only are squatter huts posing a serious problem, the overcrowding of the public housing estates poses yet another problem awaiting solution. Many people who have purchased their own flats are still occupying flat units in the housing estates. Progress of the Home Ownership Scheme is at a deadly slow pace and it fails to meet the target of providing sufficient residential units to the middle-class to solve their housing problem. Public housing is indeed a brilliant achievement, but there is still a lot more to be done to solve the housing problem in Hong Kong.

We are very much indebted to Sir Murray for his efforts in the past ten years, and we are expecting much of our new Governor, Sir Edward YOUDE.

With these remarks, I support the Statement of Aims of the Council for the current year.

MR. AMBROSE K. C. CHOI (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I speak on behalf of the 45700 odd factories and over 942 800 workers in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. In order to control factory canteens, the Urban Council stipulates that all factory canteens must be licensed. Food is essential for our lives and the preservation of health. While I agree that factory canteens must satisfy certain hygienic conditions, I disagree that they should be licensed. I myself feel that such licensing requirements are not practical ever since they were set out for implementation, because the present indication is that the disadvantages have already outweighed the advantages.

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