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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

Initially, all Committee minutes will be in both languages, after which all Committee papers will be in Chinese as well. Although this bilingual process will be expensive, the Council has decided to go ahead with it so that both Chinese and English will have equal status in this Council at the earliest date possible.

Relations with Provisional Regional Council

I am happy to note that the Urban Council's relationship with the Provisional Regional Council has got off to a good start. I know that the Members of both Councils share the common goal of improving the quality of life for the people of Hong Kong, wherever they may live.

The good relationship between the Provisional Regional Council and the Urban Council will be further cemented by informal 'get-togethers' from time to time between the Members of the two Councils, such as the dinner extended by the Provisional Regional Council for Urban Councillors recently.

As the Provisional Regional Council settles down in its work in the months ahead, I envisage there will be many opportunities for the Members of both Councils to directly exchange views, both formally and informally, on matters concerning culture and recreation, public hygiene, hawkers, etc.

To reciprocate the Provisional Regional Council's rencent hospitality, the Urban Council will host a dinner for the Provisional Regional Council next month. I am sure that all Urban Councillors are looking forware to this occasion when Members of both Councils will get to know each other better in the interest of future close cooperation.

Customer Service Programmes

In an effort to maintain a high standard of customer service to the public, the Urban Services Department Training School has organized training pro- grammes in customer service for front-line staff and their supervisors serving in cultural services venues. The programmes are being held at the same time as the current courtesy drive launched by the Civil Service Branch.

So far about 560 front-line staff at ticketing offices, libraries and museums who have frequent, direct contact with public, and 70 supervisors of these front- line staff have undergone training between March and July this year.

The training programme for front-line staff covers communication skills with the public through the counter and telephone skills, while the course for the supervisors focuses on ways to motivate staff members to provide better service to the public.

The Department will extend this two-tier training programme to staff serving in district environmental health offices later this year.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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Expo '86 The Urban Council has been asked by Government to give its support to Hong Kong's participation in Expo '86 in Vancouver, as the occasion will provide Hong Kong with an excellent opportunity to promote its image among the international community.

A small Urban Council delegation is to make a working visit to Canada and the United States later this month and the first stop will be Vancouver. During the visit the party will take the opportunity to promote Hong Kong, to look at municipal facilities there-including the Expo '86 site and to renew cultural and other links with the Canadian people, as well as former Hong Kong residents who had emigrated to Canada. The party will also visit Toronto and San Francisco, two other cities with a significant population from Hong Kong, to study municipal services and promote cultural exchange and ties of friendship.

The group will be linking up with another specialist study tour of several Councillors and Urban Services Department staff visiting North America at the same time in connection with the planning of the permanent Museum of Science and Technology.

PAPER

(Mr. LEE Chik-yuet and Miss Maria TAM arrived during the Chairman's address.}

The following papers were laid on the table:

(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and

Secretary, Urban Council, for the months of July and August 1985.

(Mr. Edmund CHOW left the meeting at 2.45 p.m.)

QUESTIONS

1. MR. TONG KAM-BIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):—

(a) Members of the General Duties Team while carrying out their duties are often attacked, assaulted or threatened by hawkers. How are the Urban Council/Urban Services Department going to deal with the problem? Have we asked the Police for more assistance?

(b) Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei districts have introduced experimentally new establishment and operations for their General Duties Teams. May I be informed of the results so far?

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