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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

him some questions. I only got my knowledge from newspaper reports and asked Dr. PERRY what should I do if Madame Li asked some very knowledgeable questions. Dr. PERRY consoled me and he said not to worry. None of us really knows very much about this. In future, if members are interested, I will report the matter to the Council once the information concerning the disease is available.

MOTIONS

1. THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, moved the following motion:—

'RESOLVED that the Council should resolve itself into the Standing Committee of the Whole Council under Standing Order 2.'

He said (in English):—

'RESOLVED that the Council should resolve itself into the Standing Committee of the Whole Council under Standing Order 2.'

MR. B. A. BERNACCHI seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.

The question was put.

The motion was carried unanimously.

(Note: The minutes of the Standing Committee of the Whole Council recorded separately in Committee Minutes CW/6/85.)

(Mr. Walter M. SULKE left at this point—3.50 p.m.)

2. The CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, moved the following motion:—

'RESOLVED that this Committee resumes business as the Urban Council.'

He said (in English):—

'RESOLVED that this Committee resumes business as the Urban Council.'

MR. B. A. BERNACCHI seconded (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.

The question was put.

The motion was carried unanimously.

(Dr. Denny M. H. HUANG left at this point—3.54 p.m.)

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

3. MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN moved the following motion:—

'RESOLVED that the Markets and Street Traders Select Committee be empowered to have the discretion to revoke or suspend the licence of that newspaper hawker being convicted of selling pornographic or objectionable publications within the meaning of the "Objectionable Publications Ordinance Cap. 150" and that if necessary, to amend the relevant by-law accordingly.'

He said (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman,

(1) Of late, the police have seized over 5,000 copies of pornographic publications which, together with publications glorifying violence, have flooded the newsstands in recent years. These pornographic publications, which are of a great variety and easily available at inexpensive prices, do corrupt many of our young people.

(2) Hong Kong has now entered into the transition period and the young people are assets and pillars of our future society. The cultivation of the younger generation is considered an urgent task by all who have Hong Kong at heart and would not like to see our youngsters being corrupted by such publications which glorify sex and violence.

(3) While we treasure freedoms of speech and publication and an independent judiciary, we are not prepared to see any disruption of social peace by the abuse of these freedoms.

(4) Though the maintenance of prosperity in Hong Kong is important, it should not be achieved by the sale of pornographic publications.

(5) We can see that many young people are being corrupted by publications glorifying sex and violence sold at newsstands licensed by the Urban Council, and if we turn a blind eye to the situation and do not care what the news vendors sell, saying that we are only responsible for licensing them and for collection of licence fees, then our sincerity to provide good services to the public would be in doubt. We are devoting a lot of our resources to the construction of stadia, swimming pools, and civic centres each year for the provision of healthy recreational activities for the public. In the year 1983-84, we spent $106.1 million on entertainment, $165.3 million on recreation, and $36.5 million on library development and promotion of good reading materials for the enrichment of the spiritual and cultural life of Hong Kong. If we are also to cater to undisciplined freedom, are we supposed to turn the swimming pools and stadia into sex houses and the libraries into pornographic reading rooms?

(6) Being the licensing authority, the Urban Council should have the powers and responsibility to see that the licensees comply with the Council's intention of providing good services to the public.

(7) With regard to the problem of pornographic publications flooding the newsstands, it appears the Market and Street Traders Select Committee

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