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'buts,' 'not unlesses,' 'what ifs,' 'yes excepts,' 'not quites,' etc., with provisos of different conditions and probabilities. Since the world is rarely as simple as 'yes' or 'no', especially for issues as important as the future Legislature and Chief Executive of Hong Kong, I think it would be unwise to support the use of a referendum to resolve these problems.
With these words, I support the motion.
MR. FAN KAM-PING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as in the past, my speech will focus on sports activities. The first point I want to make is that the Urban Council should organise more large scale sports spectacular events in order to further strengthen our role in recreational and sports activities.
During the current year, 8.8 million dollars have been earmarked for the ten urban districts to organise various sports training classes and recreation and sports activities. In this regard, we have had very good results. Various training classes, such as learn-to-swim classes, various sports and ball game training classes and fitness classes were over-subscribed. Because of inadequate venues, we have reached the maximum number of classes that can be organized.
In the current year, another 5.5 million dollars have been allocated to assist over 50 international bodies of sports to organize over 200 items of national training classes and competitions. At the district and local level, promotion of sports and recreation is very successful judging from the work done by the Urban Council. However, it is a pity that in recent years, we seldom organized large scale sports spectacular events. I recall that about three years ago, it was originally intended that the Recreation Select Committee should have earmarked 2 million dollars for large scale sports spectacular events but this did not materialize eventually. During this period and recently, I and several colleagues in the Council have urged the Department to assist in the organization of sports spectacular events but the officers in-charge of the Department invariably pointed out that several years ago and very recently, the attendance rate of the event on the Chinese Olympic medal winners, organized by the Regional Council was very poor. Therefore, if we were to organize large scale sports spectacular events, we would have to face a very high risk of having a deficit. A deficit means that the Urban Council would have to subsidize substantially. Therefore, they considered that the Urban Council should not organize such large scale sports spectacular events.
Mr. Chairman, I think that when we promote sports and recreation at a grass-root level which are very successful, we have already trained a large group of young people who have got a lot of interest in certain sports events with the basic skills for particular sports. Under this circumstance, we should certainly bring more international athletes and world class athletes to stimulate and prolong youngsters' interest in the various sports. This will also let them know that if they continue their training in these sports, one day they can reach a very high level of achievement. These renowned and successful athletes will be their models for training so that one day they will be equally successful as theirs and enjoy the health, wealth and fame that such sports may bring to them.
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Our Cultural Presentation Office has from time to time brought famous overseas artists and artistic groups to Hong Kong to let Hong Kong people appreciate the high standard of overseas artists. The level of subsidy to these artistic groups is very tremendous. To cite an example, in October last year, we organized the London Philharmonic Concerts in Hong Kong and we subsidized 1.2 million dollars. For each seat, we subsidized 2 hundred dollars.
In the coming year, with the opening of our new Cultural Centre, we are to invite the German Cologne Opera to perform in Hong Kong. It is estimated that the level of subsidy will reach 10 million dollars. It is roughly calculated that for each seat we have to subsidize 1 thousand dollars. I think the level of subsidy spent on bringing international sports athletics to Hong Kong is totally out of proportion in comparison with the level of subsidy spent on bringing overseas artistic groups to Hong Kong.
Many of my colleagues in the Urban Council would probably be surprised as to why I only speak about sports spectacular events because we have a policy of promoting sports in Hong Kong. We cannot organize international competitions, but we are allowed to organize international sports spectacular events. I have tried to find out the reasons for this discrepancy. The only possible explanation is that we don't have sufficient staff in our Sports Promotion Office. I think the reason has been with us for quite some time. If we are willing to organize more events, I am sure that the Department would be able to deploy staff with knowledge and experience in international sports to handle this function. Therefore, I urge more Councillors to support my proposal to organize more sports spectacular events. I think that if we can bring more first class athletes to Hong Kong for performances, then the young people trained by us will be able to widen their horizon and to promote better understanding of the sports that they are under training and we would certainly be able to improve the quality as well as quantity of our aim in promoting sports activities.
My second suggestion is that the Urban Council should expedite to build more sports facilities. We should not just look at the attendance rate. There are two expatriate Councillors including the Chairman and Mr. SULKE. I believe both of them have lived in Hong Kong for over forty years. I think all will agree with me that Hong Kong is a materialistic and practical society. Before we contemplate anything, we would certainly look at the profits or the value for money spent, cost effectiveness, the usage rate and attendance rate etc. Since I joined the Urban Council in 1985, I have always joined the Culture Select Committee, Entertainment Select Committee and Recreation Select Committee. I have always been a member of these Committees. When I attend meetings of these Committees, I am sympathetic with departmental staff. Very often, they are very tense and nervous to tell us the usage rate and attendance rate of cultural presentations, cultural complexes, recreation and sports activities and
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
'buts,' 'not unlesses,' 'what ifs,' 'yes excepts,' 'not quites,' etc., with provisos of different conditions and probabilities. Since the world is rarely as simple as 'yes' or 'no', especially for issues as important as the future Legislature and Chief Executive of Hong Kong, I think it would be unwise to support the use of a referendum to resolve these problems.
With these words, I support the motion.
MR. FAN KAM-PING (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as in the past, my speech will focus on sports activities. The first point I want to make is that the Urban Council should organise more large scale sports spectacular events in order to further strengthen our role in recreational and sports activities.
During the current year, 8.8 million dollars have been earmarked for the ten urban districts to organise various sports training classes and recreation and sports activities. In this regard, we have had very good results. Various training classes, such as learn-to-swim classes, various sports and ball game training classes and fitness classes were over-subscribed. Because of inadequate venues, we have reached the maximum number of classes that can be organized.
In the current year, another 5.5 million dollars have been allocated to assist over 50 international bodies of sports to organize over 200 items of national training classes and competitions. At the district and local level, promotion of sports and recreation is very successful judging from the work done by the Urban Council. However, it is a pity that in recent years, we seldom organized large scale sports spectacular events. I recall that about three years ago, it was originally intended that the Recreation Select Committee should have earmarked 2 million dollars for large scale sports spectacular events but this did not materialize eventually. During this period and recently, I and several col- leagues in the Council have urged the Department to assist in the organization of sports spectacular events but the officers in-charge of the Department in- variably pointed out that several years ago and very recently, the attendance rate of the event on the Chinese Olympic medal winners, organized by the Re- gional Council was very poor. Therefore, if we were to organize large scale sports spectacular events, we would have to face a very high risk of having a de- ficit. A deficit means that the Urban Council would have to subsidize substan- tially. Therefore, they considered that the Urban Council should not organize such large scale sports spectacular events.
Mr. Chairman, I think that when we promote sports and recreation at a grass-root level which are very successful, we have already trained a large group of young people who have got a lot of interest in certain sports events with the basic skills for particular sports. Under this circumstance, we should certainly bring more international athletes and world class athletes to stimulate and pro- long youngsters' interest in the various sports. This will also let them know that if they continue their training in these sports, one day they can reach a very high
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level of achievement. These renowned and successful athletes will be their models for training so that one day they will be equally successful as theirs and enjoy the health, wealth and fame that such sports may bring to them.
Our Cultural Presentation Office has from time to time brought famous over- seas artists and artistic groups to Hong Kong to let Hong Kong people appreciate the high standard of overseas artists. The level of subsidy to these artistic groups is very tremendous. To cite an example, in October last year, we organized the London Philharmonic Concerts in Hong Kong and we subsi- ized 1.2 million dollars. For each seat, we subsidized 2 hundred dollars.
In the coming year, with the opening of our new Cultural Centre, we are to invite the German Cologne Opera to perform in Hong Kong. It is estimated that the level of subsidy will reach 10 million dollars. It is roughly calculated that for each seat we have to subsidize 1 thousand dollars. I think the level of subsidy spent on bringing international sports athletics to Hong Kong is totally out of proportion in comparison with the level of subsidy spent on bringing overseas artistic groups to Hong Kong.
Many of my colleagues in the Urban Council would probably be surprised as to why I only speak about sports spectacular events because we have a policy of promoting sports in Hong Kong. We cannot organize international com- petitions, but we are allowed to organize international sports spectacular events. I have tried to find out the reasons for this discrepancy. The only poss- ible explanation is that we don't have sufficient staff in our Sports Promotion Office. I think the reason has been with us for quite some time. If we are willing to organize more events, I am sure that the Department would be able to de- ploy staff with knowledge and experience in international sports to handle this function. Therefore, I urge more Councillors to support my proposal to organize more sports spectacular events. I think that if we can bring more first class athletes to Hong Kong for performances, then the young people trained by us will be able to widen their horizon and to promote better understanding of the sports that they are under training and we would certainly be able to im- prove the quality as well as quantity of our aim in promoting sports activities.
My second suggestion is that the Urban Council should expedite to build more sports facilities. We should not just look at the attendance rate. There are two expatriate Councillors including the Chairman and Mr. SULKE. I believe both of them have lived in Hong Kong for over forty years. I think all will agree with me that Hong Kong is a materialistic and practical society. Before we con- template anything, we would certainly look at the profits or the value for money spent, cost effectiveness, the usage rate and attendance rate etc. Since I joined the Urban Council in 1985, I have always joined the Culture Select Com- mittee, Entertainment Select Committee and Recreation Select Committee. I have always been a member of these Committees. When I attend meetings of these Committees, I am sympathetic with departmental staff. Very often, they are very tense and nervous to tell us the usage rate and attendance rate of cul- tural presentations, cultural complexes, recreation and sports activities and
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