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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

participants and users are mostly young people as well. As for the educational and publicity works in respect of environmental and food hygiene, although we aim at the whole population irrespective of the age and sex, the major target group is still the young people. The Council's annual subsidy spent on the youth is certainly considerable. In view of the above reason, I therefore propose that the Council put forward its invaluable views on the report so as to forward them to the Central Committee on Youth.

The scope of public consultation is, in fact, very narrow and simple. Firstly, it is hoped that the residents indicate whether they are in favour of formulating a comprehensive and long-term youth policy in Hong Kong. Secondly, if they are in favour of having a comprehensive youth policy, should the Government set up a Commission to implement and put into effect this youth policy? Thirdly, if there is the need to set up a Commission, should it merely play a consultative and co-ordinating role? Or should it be given the executive and directive powers?

Mr. Chairman, as I am concurrently a member of the Central Committee on Youth, I do not intend to speak too much here. I merely hope that I can listen to more views expressed by fellow Councillors, particularly on the three major points I have just mentioned. Moreover, I would like to clarify that the 'Report on Youth Policy' itself is not a set of 'Youth Policy'. I believe that the existing Central Committee on Youth will submit the views on the contents of the future youth policy gathered since 25 April and those put forward by fellow Councillors today to the future Commission on Youth for reference.

Mr. Chairman, I beg to move.

MR. PAUL YOUNG TZE-KONG (in English):--Mr. Chairman, being also a member of the Central Committee on Youth, I wish to comment in respect to the 'Report on Youth Policy' that the Urban Council has been actively planning, cultivating and offering our youth many quality and wide-ranging facilities and programmes that cater to their real and essential needs to develop and maintain their physical and healthy cultural well-being. Youth and their service organizations should also bear in mind that the Urban Council, through its services to the general public, has an equally important role to channel and reflect the community's expectations of today's youth. With the above, Mr. Chairman, I second the motion.

(Dr. Ronald LEUNG left the meeting at 3.15 p.m.)

THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as we move forward during the transition period towards 1997, there is a pressing need for a comprehensive youth policy to firstly, meet the needs and aspirations of our young people, and secondly, to fulfill the expectations which the community have of these young people.

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Youth in Hong Kong is generally defined as the population aged between 10 and 25 inclusive. That represents nearly 26% of our population or about 1.4 million young people.

By 1997 these 1.4 million will have moved up to within the age bracket of 19 to 34 years of age. A comprehensive youth policy should endeavour to anticipate the role--both in terms of rights and responsibilities that these young people will be able to play during the transition period and beyond 1997. And let us not forget that between now and 1997 there will be many other youngsters coming within the age bracket between 10 and 25.

It is of vital concern to the community therefore that we should have within Government, and between Government and the voluntary agencies, more co-operation and co-ordination in our policy towards youth. Such policy will have to be comprehensive, well-balanced, well-planned and efficiently implemented, and have the support of the community as a whole.

The Working Party has categorized the needs and aspirations of young people, has listed the range of services for youth both by Government and the voluntary sector, and has given its perception of the community's expectation of young people as well.

The key question that the Working Party has addressed is the need for a long-term youth policy, integrating the various activities and individual agency policies into a comprehensive youth policy for the community.

I support the Working Party's recommendation to have a Standing Committee to be known as the 'Commission on Youth' to replace the existing Central Committee on Youth.

The role of the Commission on Youth will be to advise Government comprehensively on all matters pertaining to youth, including the guidance, training, development and protection of youth, and to regularly review and recommend desirable changes on youth policy in the light of changing conditions.

Such a Commission, I believe, should identify priority areas for change, whether immediate or long-term, and once recommendations are accepted by Government, should monitor and co-ordinate progress in the follow-through in such priority areas.

I would like to comment on two areas of top priority for consideration by a future Commission on Youth.

The first has to do with what has been referred to in the Working Party's Report as 'Recreation and Cultural Pursuits', an area in which the Urban Council is very much involved through its provision of suitable venues and the allocation of sizeable sums of public funds for recreation, sports, cultural and entertainment programmes for youth throughout the year.

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