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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
thirdly, to work closely with the District Boards to stabilize and improve the hawker situation in all urban districts.
The long-term aim of the Council is to progressively eliminate illegal hawking and to reduce the number of on-street licensed hawkers in the urban areas.
Recreation and Sport
not
In recreation and sport the Urban Council will expand its role in supporting not only the National sports bodies but also the District sports associations in providing worthwhile programmes at the district level.
The Council will also co-operate and give its full support to the Jubilee Sports Centre at Sha Tin in order to ensure that sportsmen living in the urban areas will not be deprived of the opportunities and facilities at that Centre.
Entertainment and Culture
In the realm of entertainment and culture the Council already plays an active role, and increasing attention will be given to assisting local artists to improve their techniques and artistic level in their chosen art forms.
In order to reduce the heavy subsidy that is allocated to public entertainment and cultural activities, the Council intends to explore further possibilities of sponsorship from the private sector.
At the district level, the Council will be available at all times to render whatever support it is called upon to give by the District Boards that wish to organize their own District cultural and entertainment festivals and programmes.
The Council's aim is to foster and promote culture to improve our quality of life and to strengthen our community spirit.
District Boards
With Councillors sitting on all ten urban District Boards, we now have a co-operative and increasingly useful working relationship with these organizations.
The advice and suggestions of the District Boards are very helpful to the Council in planning and building district facilities such as market complexes, swimming pools, libraries, gardens, etc.
Due to insufficient manpower on-the-ground the Council has not been able to proceed at a faster pace with the re-ordering of hawker-congested areas in Kowloon to meet the wishes of a number of District Boards. It is hoped however that this situation will be remedied during 1983.
The Community at large
Through its many programmes, the Urban Council continuously links up with various Government departments and voluntary groups in rendering community service and improving the quality of life for Hong Kong citizens.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Council is at all times prepared to further co-operate with organizations involved in work for the elderly, the disabled, young people, and other definable groups, such as factory workers.
As I said recently there is advantage in Government promoting a territory-wide Courtesy Campaign, with each Government department setting up its own Courtesy Campaign Committee. If the support of the private sector can be enlisted in the Campaign, I am confident that it will not only strengthen our own community spirit and sense of identity, but will also enhance Hong Kong's image abroad and among tourists visiting Hong Kong.
Confidence in our future
Having lived here for over 40 years, Hong Kong is my home and together with our other 5.2 million citizens, I have a stake in Hong Kong's long-term confidence, stability and prosperity.
The Hong Kong situation has been compared to that of a 3-legged stool requiring the co-operation and support of the Chinese Government, the British Government and the Hong Kong people themselves in working towards these objectives.
It is hoped that within the coming year or two, China and Britain will come to an agreement for the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, even beyond 1997.
It is vital to all concerned that during the period of negotiations confidence in Hong Kong's future be preserved both locally and internationally.
Hong Kong is an international city that is at present neither 100% Chinese nor 100% British. It can for many years to come play a significant role towards China's modernization for her 1000 million people, which population is expected to rise to 1.3 billion by the turn of the century.
In economic terms, it should be to the advantage of China's modernization plans that the 3-legged arrangement be allowed to continue for another 30 years at least. By that time, China's modernization programme and the living standards of the Chinese people will have progressed to such a level that the question of the re-integration of or the recovery of full sovereignty of Hong Kong by China will be taken as a matter of course. Whether such a pragmatic economic arrangement can be arrived at while respecting China's sovereignty rights will depend very much on the political negotiations between the parties concerned.
In any event, I endorse a recent statement attributed to Lord KADOORIE that:
'We the people of Hong Kong must have confidence in ourselves and our future.'
Page 88 of 142
Page 88,of 142
131
Page 87 of 142
Page 87,of 142
130
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
thirdly, to work closely with the District Boards to stabilize and improve the
hawker situation in all urban districts.
The long-term aim of the Council is to progressively eliminate illegal hawking
and to reduce the number of on-street licensed hawkers in the urban areas.
Recreation and Sport
not
In recreation and sport the Urban Council will expand its role in supporting only the National sports bodies but also the District sports associations in providing worthwhile programmes at the district level.
The Council will also co-operate and give its full support to the Jubilee Sports Centre at Sha Tin in order to ensure that sportsmen living in the urban areas will not be deprived of the opportunities and facilities at that Centre.
Entertainment and Culture
In the realm of entertainment and culture the Council already plays an active role, and increasing attention will be given to assisting local artists to improve their techniques and artistic level in their chosen art forms.
In order to reduce the heavy subsidy that is allocated to public entertainment and cultural activities, the Council intends to explore further possibilities of sponsorship from the private sector.
At the district level, the Council will be available at all times to render whatever support it is called upon to give by the District Boards that wish to organize their own District cultural and entertainment festivals and pro- grammes.
The Council's aim is to foster and promote culture to improve our quality of life and to strengthen our community spirit.
District Boards
With Councillors sitting on all ten urban District Boards, we now have a co- operative and increasingly useful working relationship with these organizations.
The advice and suggestions of the District Boards are very helpful to the Council in planning and building district facilities such as market complexes, swimming pools, libraries, gardens, etc.
Due to insufficient manpower on-the-ground the Council has not been able to proceed at a faster pace with the re-ordering of hawker-congested areas in Kowloon to meet the wishes of a number of District Boards. It is hoped however that this situation will be remedied during 1983.
The Community at large
Through its many programmes, the Urban Council continuously links up with various Government departments and voluntary groups in rendering com- munity service and improving the quality of life for Hong Kong citizens.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Council is at all times prepared to further co-operate with organizations involved in work for the elderly, the disabled, young people, and other definable groups, such as factory workers.
As I said recently there is advantage in Government promoting a territory- wide Courtesy Campaign, with each Government department setting up its own Courtesy Campaign Committee. If the support of the private sector can be enlisted in the Campaign, I am confident that it will not only strengthen our own community spirit and sense of identity, but will also enhance Hong Kong's image abroad and among tourists visiting Hong Kong.
Confidence in our future
Having lived here for over 40 years, Hong Kong is my home and together with our other 5.2 million citizens, I have a stake in Hong Kong's long-term confidence, stability and prosperity.
The Hong Kong situation has been compared to that of a 3-legged stool requiring the co-operation and support of the Chinese Government, the British Government and the Hong Kong people themselves in working towards these objectives.
It is hoped that within the coming year or two, China and Britain will come to an agreement for the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, even beyond 1997.
It is vital to all concerned that during the period of negotiations confidence in Hong Kong's future be preserved both locally and internationally.
Hong Kong is an international city that is at present neither 100% Chinese nor 100% British. It can for many years to come play a significant role towards China's modernization for her 1000 million people, which population is expected to rise to 1.3 billion by the turn of the century.
In economic terms, it should be to the advantage of China's modernization plans that the 3-legged arrangement be allowed to continue for another 30 years at least. By that time, China's modernization programme and the living standards of the Chinese people will have progressed to such a level that the question of the re-integration of or the recovery of full sovereignty of Hong Kong by China will be taken as a matter of course. Whether such a pragmatic economic arrangement can be arrived at while respecting China's sovereignty rights will depend very much on the political negotiations between the parties concerned.
In any event, I endorse a recent statement attributed to Lord KADOORIE that:
'We the people of Hong Kong must have confidence in ourselves and our future.'
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