1987 — Page 123

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

I am pleased to see that proposals are now in hand to reinstate the Temporary Market in Southern Playground back to recreational use. Such would provide two more basketball courts and additional sitting-out area for Wan Chai residents. The total cost could exceed $3.5 million, but I think the cost would be well worth it considering the serious shortage of recreation space in Wan Chai. I urge that this work be completed as early as possible, and hopefully not later than the beginning of next year,

Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign

The Campaign Committee certainly merits much praise and the full support of all Government departments and community organizations and the public alike for keeping up the momentum in keeping Hong Kong clean and green.

To this extent, the Urban Council has performed an admirable role in improving the living environment of Hong Kong people and in attracting the plaudits and admiration of the millions of tourists who come to Hong Kong every year. May I urge the Campaign Committee to step up efforts to educate the public when and how plastic bags can be increasingly utilized to contain refuse for disposal.

Health Education

One recurrent complaint I have heard on many occasions has to do with clean toilets in some restaurants, both large and small. This is undoubtedly a long-term and continuous health education effort to be aimed at the management and staff of restaurants. I would urge the relevant Select Committee to step up its health education efforts in this direction during 1988.

Abattoirs

There has been for some time ongoing discussions within Government on privatizing management of the abattoirs and I look forward to an early decision by Government on this subject.

Culture

As the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui will be opening next year, it is timely to review the existing facilities and services at the City Hall and to plan for the redevelopment of City Hall in the early 90's. I hope that this will be actively followed up by the Culture Select Committee.

Recently a number of cultural impresarios have made representations concerning hire charges of venues and the standard of service. I take these representations as a healthy sign of growing interest outside the Council to provide more culture to the public. I believe that we should encourage more private initiative and private sponsorship in promoting cultural activities in Hong Kong, on the understanding of course that the wider public interest in the area of culture is enhanced and does not suffer. I look forward to a healthy and constructive dialogue taking place between the impresarios and the Urban Council.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

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With community arts centres in Sai Wan Ho and other districts coming on stream in the next few years, it is highly desirable for the Urban Council to encourage district-based cultural bodies to fully utilize such facilities and to seek more district-based sponsorship for cultural activities in both the performing and visual arts fields.

On the entertainment side, the Urban Council deserves full marks for its extensive range of entertainment programmes in all ten urban districts throughout the year. Presently, there is still spare capacity in the Queen Elizabeth Stadium and apart from the indoor sports activities in the stadium, there is room for more non-sports-oriented activities there. I would urge the Council and the Urban Services Department to step up promotion and marketing this year so that the facilities at this stadium in both sports and non-sports related areas will be fully utilized by schools, district boards, area committees and district-based organizations.

Consideration might again be given to changing the format of 'City News' from tabloid format into a magazine format. The advantage in doing so is that readers would be even more inclined to retain the publication for a longer period of time in following up on activities in all Urban Council venues throughout the month.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Urban Services Department, the executive arm of the Council, in giving its whole-hearted support to the Council to make Hong Kong into a clean city, a healthy city, and a culturally enriched city.

It is a great pity that Government is apparently taking the one-sided view that the Urban Council is not doing its job effectively enough and primarily for political purposes is planning to put ten representatives from the ten urban District Boards on the Urban Council this year; I regard this to be a hasty and piecemeal political move in the absence of having direct elections to Legislative Council taking place in 1988. It would be more consistent and more politically acceptable for any major changes to the Urban Council to take place after the future structure of the Legislative Council becomes clearer, and it seems such would not happen until 1990 or 1991.

I therefore urge Government to postpone decision on any major changes to the Urban Council until then, that is until 1990 or 1991.

Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in supporting the motion.

(Mr. Frederick K. K. FUNG arrived at 3.00 p.m.)

CHAIRMAN (in English): The next speaker should be Cecilia YEUNG. As Cecilia is suffering from an acute case of laryngitis we will table your speech (Appendix) but if you feel up to making it on Thursday, of course we will be delighted to hear you in action, Cecilia.

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