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now believe that the Department can suddenly do it when we haven't been able to do it for the last three years? And also since we are having these losses which I understand are well over $200 million, why do we not adjust our charges to at least make good some of these losses?

MR. CHAN KWOK-MING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as regards revision of charges, the Select Committee and the Department will seriously consider this matter.

(Miss Cecilia YEUNG and Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN entered at 2.36 p.m. and 2.39 p.m. respectively.)

2. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—The consultancy report on sport in Hong Kong, which we first saw in July last year, criticized our current booking procedures for sports venues as bureaucratic. This criticism is widespread. We were promised at the time that the Department was going to review the booking procedures 'as soon as time and manpower permits'. Could I please be told whether time and manpower is now available and what steps are being taken to make our booking procedures easier?

MR. JOHN K. P. FAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):―This question concerns undertakings given by the Urban Services Department that a review of booking procedures for Urban Council sports venues would be undertaken as soon as time and manpower permit, and asks what steps are being taken to simplify booking procedures.

Urban Council sports facilities are extremely heavily used by governing sports bodies (for national and international events), schools (for intra and inter schools events), the Urban Council (for both recreation and sports services and sports promotion events), as well as by the general public.

Booking procedures have to be flexible enough to allow the various different types of use to be accommodated, while at the same time preventing abuses, in particular the domination of facilities by a minority of users. This dual requirement has resulted in a situation where booking procedures are fair but at the same time rather complex.

The Department is aware of the difficulties which this situation causes some users and in recent years all booking procedures have been reviewed on a regular basis. The Commissioner Against Corruption has given particular assistance, and has undertaken reviews of booking procedures in respect of swimming pools, grass pitches and tennis courts. Recommendations for improvements to booking procedures arising from these studies have been accepted and booking procedures modified accordingly. These studies have resulted in some improvements but have also tended to make the booking procedures less flexible. This is inevitable in a situation where most sporting venues are in very great demand and are supervised by relatively junior staff who have little authority to 'manage' the venue, and therefore are required to follow operating procedures rigidly.

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For this reason steps are now being taken to upgrade venue management and at the same time to delegate greater authority for operational decisions to the district and venue levels.

To supplement changes in venue management the Department has been actively investigating the introduction of a fully computerized admission system for all recreational facilities. The Electronic Data Processing Centre is currently studying this matter with a view to assessing its feasibility and financial implications. Proposals are expected to be submitted to Council for consideration later this year.

Manpower shortages in the Leisure Services Division have hampered progress on the improvement of our booking procedures. However, further formal reviews of the booking procedures. However, further formal reviews of the booking procedures for athletic grounds, sports pitches, squash courts, indoor games halls, hard surface areas in parks and playgrounds, the bowls greens, swimming pools and tennis courts are likely to begin in May 1989 following the reorganization of the Leisure Services Division. These will be undertaken consecutively and probably in that order.

In preparing the programme of reviews, account has been taken of the periods of peak usage, with the intention being to complete the reviews in time for any recommendations to be implemented prior to these periods of peak demand. However, in view of the large number of reviews required this programme will take over a year to complete.

MR. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I have a question to ask. During the current Urban Council Election, some of the private building management committees require some venues to do certain consultation activities. Originally, the Sham Shui Po District would like to hire the Maple Street Playground to do the exercise. However, the application was rejected by USD on the grounds that the application had not been made two months in advance. I would like to ask, in our future review, whether special considerations could be given to applications for hiring Council's sporting venues concerning electioneering activities of the two Municipal Councils?

MR. JOHN K. P. FAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the question raised by Mr. FUNG in fact points out that many of the management staff of our recreational facilities are quite junior, therefore they have only to follow the booking procedures rigidly. As a result, they don't have the authority to be flexible in handling these applications. Concerning the question raised by Mr. FUNG, I think as it is related to certain technical arrangements, I don't think there is any need to give the answer in an Open Meeting. I think the question should be referred to the senior staff of USD for follow-up actions. Of course, would urge them to take a flexible approach towards such applications.