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Apart from the existing one in Kwun Tong Recreation Ground, a swimming pool in Shun Lee Tsuen is now under active planning, with a target work commencement date in late 1988 for completion in late 1991.
Whether additional pools will be constructed in the Kwun Tong District is difficult to say at this stage. Much will depend on how the population develops in the coming years: present planning indications are, for example, that it will decrease to about 590 000 by 1991. Note will also have to be taken of the usage patterns in the two pools mentioned above when they are both fully operational. Clearly, there would be little point in building a third pool complex if the existing two were not being fully utilized. Regard would also have to be paid to the Council's future funding position and the relative priorities for the allocation of funds for capital works items.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, it is stated there that population of Kwun Tong may decrease to 590 000 by 1991, but according to the information I get that we are now planning to build a new Lam Tin housing estate and also in Kowloon Bay and Jordan Valley, we will also have two other housing estates so I do not know what information do you have which indicated the decrease and I would like to know whether there would be any review of the situation if the information proves wrong.
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese):—As I have said, the figure was obtained from the planning indications given by the Government. It could not be taken as one hundred per cent correct. If later on, the population in Kwun Tong proves to be on the increase, we would certainly reconsider building another swimming complex.
6. MR. LAM CHAK-PIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):—Would a charge be made against tourists who are making a short stay here but have committed a littering offence?
Dr. D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—The question asks whether a charge would be made against tourists who are making a short stay here but have committed a littering offence.
Under the provisions of the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisance (Urban Council) By-laws, any person, whether he is a tourist or local resident, who has committed a litter offence, is liable to prosecution. Summonses known as Forms 1A are served on the offenders once they are observed having committed any litter offences, requiring them to appear before a Magistrate for hearing at a specified date, time and place. Normally, the defenders are given 14 clear working days to appear in Court.
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It must, however, be pointed out that for obvious reasons there are operational difficulties in the enforcement of anti-litter laws in cases where the offender is a tourist staying in the territory only for a short period of time. This is because prosecution is effected by summons action and given that the offence of littering is not considered serious enough to warrant an immediate arrest of an offender and his taking to a police station for charging.
It should also be emphasised that ultimate or more permanent remedy will be by means of public health education and personal hygiene and environmental hygiene. Prosecution in Court may only be considered as a reinforcement measure.
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to make some supplementary remarks. Since we have more and more tourists who are staying for very short time in Hong Kong, I hope that our concerned Select Committee can review the publicity of our cleansing regulations to tourists. We should make sure that the tourists know about our regulations and I wonder what more we can do in this aspect.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I am glad to report that this year, the Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee has planned to display prominent notices at the airport and the ferries to make the tourists and all the residents who happen to use these facilities aware, and I hope this will achieve what Mr. LAM has proposed.
MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, personally, I think that giving 14 clear working days to the offenders before they appear in court might not be practical at all for tourists so our Select Committee will consider this point. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, according to the current provision in our Ordinance, 14 clear working days is required to be given to the offender to appear in Court and if we want to make any change or otherwise I think this will have to go through to the legislature and turn to the legislature, quite a major amendment to our existing Ordinance.
7. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—As far as I can remember, when we were asked to approve the reorganization of swimming pool management, which would effectively save considerable sums of money, we were not told that this would entail the partial closing of swimming pools. Could I please be told whether this partial closing of swimming pools is due to a shortage of manpower, or a deliberate effort to save money, and if the latter, when and where such was approved by the Council?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, replied as follows (in English):—This question asks whether the partial closure…
Page 74 of 201
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Page 74 of 201
106
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Apart from the existing one in Kwun Tong Recreation Ground, a swimming pool in Shun Lee Tsuen is now under active planning, with a target work commencement date in late 1988 for completion in late 1991.
Whether additional pools will be constructed in the Kwun Tong District is difficult to say at this stage. Much will depend on how the population develops in the coming years: present planning indications are, for example, that it will decrease to about 590 000 by 1991. Note will also have to be taken of the usage patterns in the two pools mentioned about when they are both fully operational. Clearly, there would be little point in building a third pool complex if the existing two were not being fully utilized. Regard would also have to be paid to the Council's future funding position and the relative priorities for the allocation of funds for capital works items.
MR. STEPHEN M. L. LAU (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, it is stated there that population of Kwun Tong may decrease to 590 000 by 1991, but according to the information I get that we are now planning to build a new Lam Tin housing estate and also in Kowloon Bay and Jordon Valley, we will also have two other housing estates so I do not know what information do you have which indicated the decrease and I would like to know whether there would be any review of the situation if the information proves wrong.
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese):—As I have said, the figure was obtained from the planning indications given by the Government. It could not be taken as one hundred per cent correct. If later on, the population in Kwun Tong proves to be on the increase, we would certainly reconsider building another swimming complex.
6. MR. LAM CHAK-PIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):----Would a charge be made against tourists who are making a short stay here but have committed a littering offence?
Dr. D. B. LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—The question asks whether a charge would be made against tourists who are making a short stay here but have committed a littering offence.
Under the provisions of the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisance (Urban Council) By-laws, any person, whether he is a tourist or local resident, who has committed a litter offence, is liable to prosecution. Summonses known as Forms 1A are served on the offenders once they are observed having committed any litter offences, requiring them to appear before a Magistrate for hearing at a specified date, time and place. Normally, the defenders are given 14 clear working days to appear in Court.
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107
It must, however, be pointed out that for obvious reasons there are operational difficulties in the enforcement of anti-litter laws in cases where the offender is a tourist staying in the territory only for a short period of time. This is because prosecution is effected by summons action and given that the offence of littering is not considered serious enough to warrant an immediate arrest of an offender and his taking to a police station for charging.
It should also be emphasised that ultimate or more permanent remedy will be by means of public health education and personal hygiene and environmental hygiene. Prosecution in Court may only be considered as an reinforcement
measure.
MR. LAM CHAK-PIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to make some supplementary remarks. Since we have more and more tourists who are staying for very short time in Hong Kong, I hope that our concerned Select Committee can review the publicity of our cleansing regulations to tourists. We should make sure that the tourists know about our regulations and I wonder what more we can do in this aspect.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I am glad to report that this year, the Keep Hong Kong Clean Committee has planned to display prominent notices at the airport and the ferries to make the tourists and all the residents who happen to use these facilities and I hope this will achieve what Mr. LAM has proposed.
MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, personally, I think that giving 14 clear working days to the offenders before they appear to court might not be practical at all for tourists so our Select Committee will consider this point. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, according to the current provision in our Ordinance, 14 clear working days is required to be given to the offender to appear in Court and if we want to make any change or otherwise I think this will have to go through to the legislature and turn to the legislature, quite a major amendment to our existing Ordinance.
7. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—As far as I can remember, when we were asked to approve the reorganization of swimming pool management, which would effectively save considerable sums of money, we were not told that this would entail the partial closing of swimming pools. Could I please be told whether this partial closing of swimming pools is due to a shortage of manpower, or a deliberate effort to save money, and if the latter, when and where such was approved by the Council?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. Wong Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, replied as follows (in English):-This question asks whether the partial closure
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