1991 — Page 93

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built and catered for, many functions may overlap with the same type of function that our other existing facilities have provided. My other point is that I hope in future the Government if there is any other such huge project that affects the public interest, i.e. under our Council's care, should try to consult us and be honest with us as soon as possible. Thank you.

Ms. YEUNG KAM-CHUN (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, I fully support Mr. Joseph CHAN's motion. My colleagues have just expressed a lot of views which are very substantial. But I have a personal feeling about this issue. Usually a school which holds athletic meet every year, has to draw lots for the use of the venue. If a school is successful in drawing lots so that it can hold an athletic meet at the Stadium, then the whole school will indeed be jubilated. If the new Hong Kong Stadium has no running track then it is going to have very far-reaching consequence because without track how can you have sport meets? How can you have field and track events on an athletic day if no track is in the stadium? If we don't have the track, then there is no point in holding athletic meets at the Hong Kong Stadium at all. As for the expansion of the Aberdeen Sports Ground to increase the seating capacity to over 10,000 people, there is a limit. At present, there are only two sports grounds for the use of 120 schools and the seating capacity of the Aberdeen Sports Grounds is not likely to provide an additional venue even if it is upgraded substantially. It doesn't make up for the loss of the Hong Kong Stadium because at present there are only two and if you take away one, then we are only left with one. It is not adequate to meet the needs of the schools. One point I would like to supplement is that the Government must set aside another venue for school sports associations to hold athletic meets. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

CHAIRMAN (in English):- I will ask the proposer if he wishes to exercise the right of reply. Mr. Joseph CHAN.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN (in Cantonese):- Thank you Mr. Chairman. I think I have to be mild in this speech, Mr. Chairman. Members have given a lot of views on the motion. First of all, they are about consultation and secondly concerning the deletion of the running track and the effect on the schools and the general public and thirdly the future management of the Stadium. My colleagues have given a lot of valuable views on these three aspects. I think we all agree that the Urban Council has not been respected. As to whether we should not lodge complaint with the Commissioner for Administrative Complaints concerning administrative errors or should we ask certain officials to resign, I think we need not take such drastic actions. But I think we all agree that the Government should promptly consult the Urban Council and to hold discussions with the Urban Council and other relevant bodies. Concerning administrative measures, the Government has the responsibility to continue to plan and build the new Stadium. But according to the Memorandum, now the Government will be responsible for financing, constructing and planning. It is said that upon the completion of the project, the management and the control is vested in the

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Urban Council. So the Government has to be responsible for the construction and the financing. As the management will be taken over by the Urban Council, the Government does not have the right to take away the Urban Council venue and then give the management to another person. For example, Mr. Chairman, you have a house, I go to your house for decoration works and then can I drive you out of your house and then reside in your house. This is illegal and so we have every legal justification to support this motion. I sincerely hope that the Government can hear the views of members of the public and to protect the interest of members of the public and pay respect to the Urban Council. Mr. Chairman, as you know I am the Member on Duty Roster for this week and yesterday, the Professional Teachers Union handed in 650 signed letters from principals and teachers of physical education and the school sports associations on the fifth of December gave a submission to this Council. I think we should seriously consider the views of the education sectors and we should also reflect the views to the Government. I hope that the secretariat can give the letters from the principals and the recommendations and submissions from the school sports associations to you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The question was put.

The motion was carried unanimously.

QUESTIONS

1. THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG asked the following question (in Cantonese):- The water quality along the coast of the Victoria Harbour is poor, and particularly the water of the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter is seriously polluted. In view of this, it has recently become a cause of concern for the Eastern District Board to find that some seafood restaurants in the district are drawing the filthy seawater of the typhoon shelter for keeping their live fish and seafood, paying no regard to hygiene requirements at all. Does the Council/USD have any power or means to curb this practice of the restaurants for the protection of public health?

MR. PAO PING-WING, CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SELECT COMMITTEE replied as follows (in Cantonese):- This question concerns whether the Council or the Department has any power or means to curb the practice of drawing sea water from typhoon shelter to keep live fish and seafood in some seafood restaurants.

There are no specific controls under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance on the use of seawater in food premises for keeping live seafood for human consumption. As we have not been able to establish the link between food poisoning and consumption of seafood kept in fish-tanks in restaurants using seawater, the Council and the Department are unable to exercise any legal powers to curb such practice.

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