HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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promote literary arts. As Mr. MAN Sai-cheong advocated in the past, we should indeed consider setting up a special collection on Hong Kong literature. If the Central Library on Hong Kong Island can be completed on schedule, then it will be a good depository for literary works produced by local writers that will help promote literary creation in Hong Kong. Library services in Hong Kong are free of charge, but I heard that the Hong Kong Authors Association are asking for legislation on intellectual property and that there will be copyright fee in future. If that comes to pass, then in future for all known services in libraries the readers will have to pay copyright fees. Such a move will certainly create a hindrance to promote appreciation of literary works in Hong Kong. In order that literary arts can be further promoted in Hong Kong, I hope that the relevant people will give the matter further thoughts.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
THE HON. FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, colleagues, the topic today is rather wide-ranging and we need to have a rather in-depth study to explain the wording of the motion. But today I just want to highlight one point, and that is popularization of culture and arts education. What the Urban Council has been doing is to promote the arts in the capacity of an organizing body. But how can we promote this as a kind of education so that members of the public can learn and benefit from these experiences. Why are we debating this topic today? The proposed abolition of the Music Office (MO) has prompted me to say this. The MO was established in 1977 and its task was to educate the youngsters in the area of music appreciation with five sub-topics. They were to promote regional centres for promoting instrumental music, secondly, to lend out musical instruments; thirdly, to introduce music to the public; fourthly, to organize district and local music facilities and finally to organize international youth music plans. The MO has played an important role in educating the public and I fully support this spirit and its aim. I remembered that in 1977 when the MO was first established some of the Urban Councillors had something negative to say: why is it that suddenly the Government had set up an MO? Why couldn't the popularization of arts be done by the then Urban Council? But nonetheless since the 16 years of its inception, it has done its part. It has popularized music to all families and it is something that we are all here to witness. Let us look at the problem of culture and arts, whether this is the opportune time to popularize art and culture, I want to mention to members four points. Arts education in Hong Kong is indeed well-equipped to achieve this. Apart from this, the Hong Kong people really need to have this. I want to outline four reasons. Firstly, in the last two decades, Hong Kong's economy has prospered. Last year, the Hong Kong GDP exceeded US$10,000 standing No. 2 in the world, second only to Japan. And with this, Hong Kong people want to have a slightly higher hierarchy of needs apart from the basic needs, i.e., arts and culture belong to this second tier if you like. So with economic booming, we do have this need for culture and arts. Secondly, there is a rise in the standard of living. If you look at
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 21 of 132
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promote literary arts. As Mr. MAN Sai-cheong advocated in the past, we should indeed consider setting up a special collection on Hong Kong literature. If the Central Library on Hong Kong Island can be completed on schedule, then it will be a good depository for literary works produced by local writers that will help promote literary creation in Hong Kong. Library services in Hong Kong are free of charge, but I heard that the Hong Kong Authors Association are asking for legislation on intellectual property and that there will be copy right fee in future. If that comes to pass, then in future for all known services in libraries the readers will have to pay copy right fees. Such a move will certainly create a hinderance to promote appreciation of literary works in Hong Kong. In order that literary arts can be further promoted in Hong Kong, I hope that the relevant people will give the matter further thoughts.
Mr. Chairman, with these remarks, I support the motion.
THE HON. FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, colleagues, the topic today is rather wide ranging and we need to have a rather indepth study to explain the wording of the motion. But today I just want to highlight one point, and that is popularization of culture and arts education. What the Urban Council has been doing is to the promotion of arts in the capacity of an organizing body. But how can we promote this is a kind of education so that members of the public can learn and benefit from these experiences. Why are we debating this topic today? The proposed abolition of the Music Office (MO) has prompted me to say this. The MO was established in 1977 and its task was to educate the youngsters in the area of music appreciation with five sub-topics. They were to promote regional centres for promoting instrumental music, secondly, to lend out musical instrument; thirdly, to introduce the music to the public; fourthly, to organize district and local music facilities and finally to organize international youth music plan. The MO has played an important role in educating the public and I fully support this spirit and its aim. I remembered that in 1977 when the MO was first established some of the Urban Councillors have something negative to say: why is it that suddenly the Government had set up an MO? Why couldn't the popularization of arts be done by the then Urban Council? But nonetheless since the 16 years of its inception, it has done its part. It has popularized music to all families and it is something that we are all here to witness. Let us look at the problem of culture and arts whether this is the opportune time to popularize art and culture, I want to mention to members four points. Arts education Hong Kong is indeed well equipped to achieve this. Apart from this the Hong Kong people really need to have this. I want to outline four reasons. Firstly, in the last two decades, Hong Kong economy has prospered. Last year, the Hong Kong GDP exceeded US$10,000 standing No. 2 in the world second only to Japan. And with this Hong Kong people want to have a slightly higher hierarchy of needs apart from the basic needs i.e. an arts and culture belong to this second tier if you like. So with economic booming we do have this need for culture and arts. Secondly, there is a rise in the standard of living. If you look at
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