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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

therefore should not require information from an individual which is not strictly necessary. Could I please have an assurance that if the accusations are justified this practice will be stopped?

MR. JOSEPH Y. S. Chan, CHAIRMAN OF THE LIBRraries Select COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question concerns the use of identity card numbers, on envelopes addressed to clectors and for the Council's library services.

I am not able to answer with regard to envelopes addressed to electors as that is not a matter within the Council's jurisdiction.

Insofar as the Council's libraries are concerned, those applying for borrowers' tickets, which will enable them to borrow books and other materials from the libraries for home use, are required to enter their identity card numbers in the application form and produce their identity cards at the time of application. After verification, the identity cards are immediately returned.

This practice has been in force since the inception of the library service in 1962. The object is to differentiate residents, who are entitled to borrowers' tickets, from non-residents in accordance with Library By-law 8. It also prevents possible abuse of the service (e.g. multiple applications under different names) and ensures reasonable protection for Council property (e.g. the non return of borrowed material).

For the same reasons, members of the public are also required to produce proof of identity when using services and facilities in the libraries, which are not restricted to registered borrowers. At present these cover expensive reference material from the closed stacks and audio-visual services requiring the use of headphones.

All personal particulars and proof of identity are kept in strict confidence and such information is never published.

MR. SULKE (in English):-I think it was a little unfair to pass that question to the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee, it was really addressed to the Chairman of the Administration Select Committee, I simply gave the libraries as an instance. I know that there are other instances where identity cards are used and all I would like is an assurance that this will be kept to an absolute minimum and I hope that the Chairman of the Administration Select Committee can give that assurance.

DR. THE HON. KIM CHAM (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as indicated and illustrated very ably by the Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee, all personal particulars and a proof of identity are used strictly in confidence. I think this is a practice which the Council practises. Naturally we will look into individual cases if there are any of such abuses.

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7. MR. MARVIN Cheung Kin-tung asked the following question (in English):---- With reference to a recent newspaper article which appeared in an English language newspaper on 14 April 1986 concerning certain alleged complaints by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the state of cleanliness at the City Hall, I would like to ask:-

(a) What are the arrangements for the cleansing of the City Hall facilities

before and after each function?

(b) Whether the cleansing is carried out by the staff of the U.S.D. or an outside

contractor?

(c) What supervision is exercised by the relevant authorities to ensure that the

work is done to acceptable standards?

(d) What were the circumstances surrounding the incident reported in the above-mentioned newspaper article where it was alleged that a special cleansing team had to spend 24 hours to polish and scrub the City Hall up to the standards required by the visitors?

MR. LAWRENCE H. L. FUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE Culture Select Committee, replied as follows (in English):—This question concerns cleaning services for the City Hall and an alleged complaint from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Cleaning services for the City Hall are provided by a contractor engaged through open tender. Daily inspection of the contractor's work is undertaken by the management of the City Hall to ensure that the state of cleanliness is of an acceptable standard. If any inadequacy is spotted, the contractor is required to rectify as soon as possible.

As a general rule, each hiring unit is cleaned both before and after each function. Dressing rooms are cleaned three times a day: in the morning, one hour before the evening hiring session and after the function.

The newspaper report that a special team had to spend 24 hours to polish and scrub the Concert Hall backstage up to the standard required by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which visited Hong Kong in April, is untrue. What happened was that when the management staff of the Orchestra visited the backstage the day before their first City Hall concert, cleaning of the Concert Hall for that day had not yet started and they commented that the cleanliness of the backstage was not satisfactory. After the contractor's routine cleaning, when the City Hall management inspected the premises in the afternoon, the auditorium and the stage of the Concert Hall were found to be satisfactorily cleaned but the state of cleanliness of the backstage could be further improved. The situation was rectified by the contractor in the evening and no complaint had been received from the Orchestra during the period of its performances.

It is worth noting that in response to the newspaper/report, the Executive Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has written to put the record straight. That letter was published in the Hong Kong Standard on 29 April.

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