1993 — Page 30

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 30 of 132

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

At present two newly refurbished public toilets, one at Star Ferry Concourse and one at Bedford Road, have been equipped with baby diaper changing facilities. There are also 14 public toilets, under construction or planning, which will have these facilities provided within their respective disabled toilet compartments. Thank you.

MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I want to know what actually the facilities are? Many parents want to bring their babies to gardens and parks. Is it possible to provide such facilities to the toilets in parks and gardens?

PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, on the first part of the question, at present, in the disabled toilet compartments, an enlarged vanity bench top of 30" long by 1.5' wide is used as diaper changing facilities. Indication signs with words 'Toilet' and 'Baby Changing Room' in English and Chinese and conventional symbols for the disabled and babies are displayed. These are the facilities currently provided in the disabled toilets. As for the provision of similar facilities in toilets in parks and gardens, I believe, according to my answer, part of the question has been resolved. Since the Working Group has approved the revised schedule of standard provision and details of public toilets, all refurbished and redeveloped toilets will be built according to the new standards. We can expect that the new toilets and the refurbished toilets if provided with disabled compartments will have similar facilities.

MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question is: how about the existing toilets? The refurbished toilets and redeveloped toilets will have such facilities. But how about the existing toilets? Will those toilets be equipped with similar facilities?

PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, it takes time to refurbish the toilets. According to our estimate, the Department is planning to spend two years to refurbish the public toilets in the urban area with addition of facilities in disabled toilet compartments. I hope this can indirectly answer Mr. MA's question. We can expect that in two years' time, all public toilets in the busy part of the urban area can be provided with such facilities.

THE HON. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question has been answered.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question is: why such facilities are only provided in the disabled toilet compartments? Are these facilities only to serve the disabled? Do the abled bodies have to go into the disabled toilet compartments to change the diapers of their children? This is the first question. The second question is: are such facilities provided both in male toilets and female toilets? Sometimes the father has to bring his baby into the toilets to change diapers. So are such facilities provided to disabled toilet compartments in the male toilets as well as female toilets? The third question is: are there any signages at the door so that the parents know that they can change diapers for their babies in such compartments? Why are such facilities provided only in disabled toilets? My fourth question is: for those toilets not provided with such facilities is it possible to provide some collapsible benches to facilitate the parents?

PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, according to my most updated knowledge on public toilets, on the doors of all disabled toilet compartments, there are signs indicating that they can be used for both sexes and are also for the parents to change the diapers of their children. As regards whether special arrangements can be made before the toilets are refurbished, I think this question can be referred to the Working Group on Public Toilets. According to my understanding, there was no such recommendation. The proposal perhaps may be based on the projected demand for such service. I think I have indirectly answered other two questions because there are signs on the doors of the disabled toilet compartments indicating that there is no distinction between male and female disabled toilet compartments and baby changing facilities are provided.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, is it possible for the Council to consider providing such facilities in all public toilets for abled bodies? As mentioned by the CUC in an English newspaper, public toilets can help to improve the international image for the Urban Council. If we can provide such facilities this will help to enhance the image of the Council. Can we provide such facilities in all the toilets not only in the disabled toilet compartments?

CHAIRMAN (in English): OK, since you have addressed the question to me I may as well attempt to express my view on these issues. The disabled toilets I think are the largest in size, that is why it is possible to install napkin changing facilities. As regards installing similar facilities in the male and female toilets, I think the size of the toilets do not allow enough area to install them. If in the event Joseph CHAN is going to bring a baby along to the toilet I would suggest he use the handicapped toilet for the napkin changing. There is no signage outside the toilet because people will know that there is such facilities especially in the new toilets. As regards putting in a temporary facility I do not think it is necessary because sooner or later we will speed up the renovation process and when there is new design new facility will be included. At the moment if we put in temporary facilities it will be just a waste of financial resources.

3. THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG asked the following question (in Cantonese): Is the number of visitors to the Visual Arts Centre in Hong Kong Park on the low side? How about the hire rate or usage rate of the venue? Is there too much administrative constraint on artists hiring the venue so that they do not have sufficient time to prepare for their creative work?

Page 30 of 132

Page 31 of 132

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): Mr. Chairman, this question is in three parts and concerns the usage of the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre.

First of all the Visual Arts Centre has been designed not as a normal museum with permanent exhibits for visitors but as a centre of workshops for visual artists. The Council holds only two temporary exhibitions a year in its relatively small exhibition hall like the inaugural exhibition on prints and the special exhibition of modern Italian glass sculpture last year. And the hall is hired thereafter by the public for the remaining of the year. Workshops are normally closed to visitors in order not to disturb the hirers. It seems therefore more relevant to answer the question to the usage rate of the facilities rather than the number of attending visitors although the figures of visitors to the two UC temporary exhibitions as mentioned and to the private exhibition by the public in the exhibition hall since its opening in May last year are still very encouraging. Coming back to the centre itself, the centre has been designed to provide well equipped studio facilities for use by practising artists. When planning for the centre commenced, wide consultation with potential users was carried out to determine the types of facilities to be provided, and as a result of the consultation, it was decided to provide 9 art studios, covering work on ceramics (2 studios), sculpture (3 studios) and print-making (4 studios). These three media cover the main stream of modern art and require sophisticated equipment and associated facilities (e.g. drains to be provided with anti-corrosive pipes and so on) which all but the most established artists are unable to provide for themselves. The Centre is also provided with, as already mentioned, an exhibition space of 220M2 for staging small scale art exhibitions, a 70 seat lecture theatre and 2 small seminar rooms for art lectures and other educational activities.

In the first 13 months of its operation, since May 1992, the Centre has attracted over 109,000 visitors to its exhibitions, including those UC exhibitions and privately run exhibitions, and has recorded 989 bookings for the studios.

The exhibition hall has achieved a usage rate of 72% whilst the ceramic studios achieved a 70% usage because the medium is popular. The sculpture and print-making studios have been used less, at 17% and 10% respectively at the moment, but this is not surprising partly because these two media are less popular than ceramics with artists, and partly because these two art forms demand a much higher degree of technical expertise and require more preparatory work. Nevertheless, there is a need to cater for these two art forms because similar facilities are not readily available elsewhere and most artists cannot provide the equipment and facilities for themselves. Provision of such facilities at affordable prices is designed to help foster a more comprehensive and varied development in Hong Kong art.

On the administrative side, since the studios are fitted with expensive and sophisticated equipment and machinery, applicants are required to provide documentary evidence of relevant training or work shop experience in the

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Page 30 of 132 55 54 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL At present two newly refurbished public toilets, one at Star Ferry Concourse and one at Bedford Road, have been equipped with baby diaper changing facilities. There are also 14 public toilets, under construction or planning, which will have these facilities provided within their respective disabled toilet compartments. Thank you. MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I want to know what actually the facilities are? Many parents want to bring their babies to gardens and parks. Is it possible to provide such facilities to the toilets in parks and gardens? PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, on the first part of the question, at present, in the disabled toilet compartments, an enlarged vanity bench top of 30" long by 1.5' wide is used as diaper changing facilities. Indication signs with words 'Toilet' and 'Baby Changing Room' in English and Chinese and conventional symbols for the disabled and babies are displayed. These are the facilities currently provided in the disabled toilets. As for the provision of similar facilities in toilets in parks and gardens, I believe, according to my answer, part of the question has been resolved. Since the Working Group has approved the revised schedule of standard provision and details of public toilets, all refurbished and redeveloped toilets will be built according to the new standards. We can expect that the new toilets and the refurbished toilets if provided with disabled compartments will have similar facilities. MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question is: how about the existing toilets? The refurbished toilets and redeveloped toilets will have such facilities. But how about the existing toilets? Will those toilets be equipped with similar facilities? PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, it takes time to refurbish the toilets. According to our estimate, the Department is planning to spend two years to refurbish the public toilets in the urban area with addition of facilities in disabled toilet compartments. I hope this can indirectly answer Mr. MA's question. We can expect that in two years' time, all public toilets in the busy part of the urban area can be provided with such facilities. THE HON. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question has been answered. MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question is: why such facilities are only provided in the disabled toilet compartments? Are these facilities only to serve the disabled? Do the abled bodies have to go into the disabled toilet compartments to change the diapers of their children? This is the first question. The second question is: are such facilities provided both in male toilets and female toilets? Sometimes the father has to bring his baby into the toilets to change diapers. So are such facilities provided to disabled toilet compartments in the male toilets as well as female toilets? The third question is: are there any signages at the door so that the parents know that they can change diapers for their babies in such compartments? Why are such facilities provided only in disabled toilets? My fourth question is: for those toilets not provided with such facilities is it possible to provide some collapsible benches to facilitate the parents? PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, according to my most updated knowledge on public toilets, on the doors of all disabled toilet compartments, there are signs indicating that they can be used for both sexes and are also for the parents to change the diapers of their children. As regards whether special arrangements can be made before the toilets are refurbished, I think this question can be referred to the Working Group on Public Toilets. According to my understanding, there was no such recommendation. The proposal perhaps may be based on the projected demand for such service. I think I have indirectly answered other two questions because there are signs on the doors of the disabled toilet compartments indicating that there is no distinction between male and female disabled toilet compartments and baby changing facilities are provided. MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, is it possible for the Council to consider providing such facilities in all public toilets for abled bodies? As mentioned by the CUC in an English newspaper, public toilets can help to improve the international image for the Urban Council. If we can provide such facilities this will help to enhance the image of the Council. Can we provide such facilities in all the toilets not only in the disabled toilet compartments? CHAIRMAN (in English): OK, since you have addressed the question to me I may as well attempt to express my view on these issues. The disabled toilets I think are the largest in size, that is why it is possible to install napkin changing facilities. As regards installing similar facilities in the male and female toilets, I think the size of the toilets do not allow enough area to install them. If in the event Joseph CHAN is going to bring a baby along to the toilet I would suggest he use the handicapped toilet for the napkin changing. There is no signage outside the toilet because people will know that there is such facilities especially in the new toilets. As regards putting in a temporary facility I do not think it is necessary because sooner or later we will speed up the renovation process and when there is new design new facility will be included. At the moment if we put in temporary facilities it will be just a waste of financial resources. 3. THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG asked the following question (in Cantonese): Is the number of visitors to the Visual Arts Centre in Hong Kong Park on the low side? How about the hire rate or usage rate of the venue? Is there too much administrative constraint on artists hiring the venue so that they do not have sufficient time to prepare for their creative work? Page 30 of 132 Page 31 of 132 56 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English): Mr. Chairman, this question is in three parts and concerns the usage of the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. First of all the Visual Arts Centre has been designed not as a normal museum with permanent exhibits for visitors but as a centre of workshops for visual artists. The Council holds only two temporary exhibitions a year in its relatively small exhibition hall like the inaugural exhibition on prints and the special exhibition of modern Italian glass sculpture last year. And the hall is hired thereafter by the public for the remaining of the year. Workshops are normally closed to visitors in order not to disturb the hirers. It seems therefore more relevant to answer the question to the usage rate of the facilities rather than the number of attending visitors although the figures of visitors to the two UC temporary exhibitions as mentioned and to the private exhibition by the public in the exhibition hall since its opening in May last year are still very encouraging. Coming back to the centre itself, the centre has been designed to provide well equipped studio facilities for use by practising artists. When planning for the centre commenced, wide consultation with potential users was carried out to determine the types of facilities to be provided, and as a result of the consultation, it was decided to provide 9 art studios, covering work on ceramics (2 studios), sculpture (3 studios) and print-making (4 studios). These three media cover the main stream of modern art and require sophisticated equipment and associated facilities (e.g. drains to be provided with anti-corrosive pipes and so on) which all but the most established artists are unable to provide for themselves. The Centre is also provided with, as already mentioned, an exhibition space of 220M2 for staging small scale art exhibitions, a 70 seat lecture theatre and 2 small seminar rooms for art lectures and other educational activities. In the first 13 months of its operation, since May 1992, the Centre has attracted over 109,000 visitors to its exhibitions, including those UC exhibitions and privately run exhibitions, and has recorded 989 bookings for the studios. The exhibition hall has achieved a usage rate of 72% whilst the ceramic studios achieved a 70% usage because the medium is popular. The sculpture and print-making studios have been used less, at 17% and 10% respectively at the moment, but this is not surprising partly because these two media are less popular than ceramics with artists, and partly because these two art forms demand a much higher degree of technical expertise and require more preparatory work. Nevertheless, there is a need to cater for these two art forms because similar facilities are not readily available elsewhere and most artists cannot provide the equipment and facilities for themselves. Provision of such facilities at affordable prices is designed to help foster a more comprehensive and varied development in Hong Kong art. On the administrative side, since the studios are fitted with expensive and sophisticated equipment and machinery, applicants are required to provide documentary evidence of relevant training or work shop experience in the Page 31 of 132

Baseline (Original)

Page 30 of 132 Page 30 of 132 55 54 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL At present two newly refurbished public toilets, one at Star Ferry Concourse and one at Bedford Road, have been equipped with baby diaper changing facilities. There are also 14 public toilets, under construction or planning, which will have these facilities provided within their respective disabled toilet compartments. Thank you. MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I want to know what actually the facilities are? Many parents want to bring their babies to gardens and parks. Is it possible to provide such facilities to the toilets in parks and gardens? PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, on the first part of the question, at present, in the disabled toilet compartments, an enlarged vanity bench top of 30" long by 1.5' wide is used as diaper changing facilities. Indication signs with words 'Toilet' and 'Baby Changing Room' in English and Chinese and conventional symbols for the disabled and babies are displayed. These are the facilities currently provided in the disabled toilets. As for the provision of similar facilities in toilets in parks and gardens, I believe, according to my answer, part of the question has been resolved. Since the Working Group has approved the revised schedule of standard provision and details of public toilets, all refurbished and redeveloped toilets will be built according to the new standards. We can expect that the new toilets and the refurbished toilets if provided with disabled compartments will have similar facilities. MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, my question is: how about the existing toilets? The refurbished toilets and redeveloped toilets will have such facilities. But how about the existing toilets? Will those toilets be equipped with similar facilities? PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, it takes time to refurbish the toilets. According to our estimate, the Department is planning to spend two years to refurbish the public toilets in the urban area with addition of facilities in disabled toilet compartments. I hope this can indirectly answer Mr. MA's question. We can expect that in two years' time, all public toilets in the busy part of the urban area can be provided with such facilities. THE HON. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, my question has been answered. MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, my question is: why such facilities are only provided in the disabled toilet compartments? Are these facilities only to serve the disabled? Do the abled bodies have to go into the disabled toilet compartments to change the diapers of their children? This is the first question. The second question is: are such facilities provided both in male toilets and female toilets? Sometimes the father has to bring his baby into the toilets to change diapers. So are such facilities provided to disabled toilet Page 30 of 132 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL compartments in the male toilets as well as female toilets? The third question is: are there any signages at the door so that the parents know that they can change diapers for their babies in such compartments? Why are such facilities provided only in disabled toilets? My fourth question is: for those toilets not provided with such facilities is it possible to provide some collapsible benches to facilitate the parents? PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, accordingly to my most updated knowledge on public toilets, on the doors of all disabled toilet compartments, there are signs indicating that they can be used for both sexes and are also for the parents to change the diapers of their children. As regards whether special arrangements can be made before the toilets are refurbished, I think this question can be referred to the Working Group on Public Toilets. According to my understanding, there was no such recommendation. The proposal perhaps may be based on the projected demand for such service. I think I have indirectly answered other two questions because there are signs on the doors of the disabled toilet compartments indicating that there is no distinction between male and female disabled toilet compartments and baby changing facilities are provided. MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, is it possible for the Council to consider providing such facilities in all public toilets for abled bodies? As mentioned by the CUC in an English newspaper, public toilets can help to improve the international image for the Urban Council. If we can provide such facilities this will help to enhance the image of the Council. Can we provide such facilities in all the toilets not only in the disabled toilet compartments? CHAIRMAN (in English):—OK, since you have addressed the question to me I may as well attempt to express my view on these issues. The disabled toilets I think are the largest in size, that is why it is possible to install napkin changing facilities. As regards installing similar facilities in the male and female toilets, I think the size of the toilets do not allow enough area to install them. If in the event Joseph CHAN is going to bring a baby along to the toilet I would suggest he use the handicapped toilet for the napkin changing. There is no signage outside the toilet because people will know that there is such facilities especially in the new toilets. As regards putting in a temporary facility I do not think it is necessary because sooner or later we will speed up the renovation process and when there is new design new facility will be included. At the moment if we put in temporary facilities it will be just a waste of financial resources. 3. THE HON. MAN SAI-CHEONG asked the following question (in Cantonese): Is the number of visitors to the Visual Arts Centre in Hong Kong Park on the low side? How about the hire rate or usage rate of the venue? Is there too much administrative constraint on artists hiring the venue so that they do not have sufficient time to prepare for their creative work? Page 30 of 132 Page 30Page 31 Page 31 of 132 56 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-Mr. Chairman, this question is in three parts and concerns the usage of the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre. First of all the Visual Arts Centre has been designed not as a normal museum with permanent exhibits for visitors but as a centre of workshops for visual artists. The Council holds only two temporary exhibitions a year in its relatively small exhibition hall like the inaugural exhibition on prints and the special exhibition of modern Italian glass sculpture last year. And the hall is hired thereafter by the public for the remaining of the year. Workshops are normally closed to visitors in order not to disturb the hirers. It seems therefore more relevant to answer the question to the usage rate of the facilities rather than the number of attending visitors although the figures of visitors to the two UC temporary exhibitions as mentioned and to the private exhibition by the public in the exhibition hall since its opening in May last year are still very encouraging. Coming back to the centre itself, the centre has been designed to provide well equipped studio facilities for use by practising artists. When planning for the centre commenced, wide consultation with potential users was carried out to determine the types of facilities to be provided, and as a result of the consultation, it was decided to provide 9 art studios, covering work on ceramics (2 studios), sculpture (3 studios) and print-making (4 studios). These three media cover the main stream of modern art and require sophisticated equipment and associated facilities (e.g. drains to be provided with anti corrosive pipes and so on) which all but the most established artists are unable to provide for themselves. The Centre is also provided with, as already mentioned, an exhibition space of 220M2 for staging small scale art exhibitions, a 70 seat lecture theatre and 2 small seminar rooms for art lectures and other educational activities. In the first 13 months of its operation, since May 1992, the Centre has attracted over 109 000 visitors to its exhibitions, including those UC exhibitions and privately run exhibitions, and has recorded 989 bookings for the studios. The exhibition hall has achieved a usage rate of 72% whilst the ceramic studios achieved a 70% usage because the medium is popular. The sculpture and print-making studios have been used less, at 17% and 10% respectively at the moment, but this is not surprising partly because these two media are less popular than ceramics with artists, and partly because these two art forms demand a much higher degree of technical expertise and require more preparatory work. Nevertheless, there is a need to cater for these two art forms because similar facilities are not readily available elsewhere and most artists cannot provide the equipment and facilities for themselves. Provision of such facilities at affordable prices is designed to help foster a more comprehensive and varied development in Hong Kong art. On the administrative side, since the studios are fitted with expensive and sophisticated equipment and machinery, applicants are required to provide documentary evidence of relevant training or work shop experience in the Page 31 of 132

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Page 30 of 132

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. MA LEE-WO (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I want to know what actually the facilities are? Many parents want to bring their babies to gardens and parks. Is it possible to provide such facilities to the toilets in parks and gardens?

PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, on the first part of the question, at present, in the disabled toilet compartments, an enlarged vanity bench top of 30" long by 1.5' wide is used as diaper changing facilities. Indication signs with words 'Toilet' and 'Baby Changing Room' in English and Chinese and conventional symbols for the disabled and babies are displayed. These are the facilities currently provided in the disabled toilets. As for the provision of similar facilities in toilets in parks and gardens, I believe, according to my answer, part of the question has been resolved. Since the Working Group has approved the revised schedule of standard provision and details of public toilets, all refurbished and redeveloped toilets will be built according to the new standards. We can expect that the new toilets and the refurbished toilets if provided with disabled compartments will have similar facilities.

THE HON. FREDERICK K. K. FUNG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, my question has been answered.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, my question is: why such facilities are only provided in the disabled toilet compartments? Are these facilities only to serve the disabled? Do the abled bodies have to go into the disabled toilet compartments to change the diapers of their children? This is the first question. The second question is: are such facilities provided both in male toilets and female toilets? Sometimes the father has to bring his baby into the toilets to change diapers. So are such facilities provided to disabled toilet

Page 30 of 132

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

compartments in the male toilets as well as female toilets? The third question is: are there any signages at the door so that the parents know that they can change diapers for their babies in such compartments? Why are such facilities provided only in disabled toilets? My fourth question is: for those toilets not provided with such facilities is it possible to provide some collapsible benches to facilitate the parents?

PROFESSOR LEUNG PING-CHUNG (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, accordingly to my most updated knowledge on public toilets, on the doors of all disabled toilet compartments, there are signs indicating that they can be used for both sexes and are also for the parents to change the diapers of their children. As regards whether special arrangements can be made before the toilets are refurbished, I think this question can be referred to the Working Group on Public Toilets. According to my understanding, there was no such recommendation. The proposal perhaps may be based on the projected demand for such service. I think I have indirectly answered other two questions because there are signs on the doors of the disabled toilet compartments indicating that there is no distinction between male and female disabled toilet compartments and baby changing facilities are provided.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, is it possible for the Council to consider providing such facilities in all public toilets for abled bodies? As mentioned by the CUC in an English newspaper, public toilets can help to improve the international image for the Urban Council. If we can provide such facilities this will help to enhance the image of the Council. Can we provide such facilities in all the toilets not only in the disabled toilet compartments?

CHAIRMAN (in English):—OK, since you have addressed the question to me I may as well attempt to express my view on these issues. The disabled toilets I think are the largest in size, that is why it is possible to install napkin changing facilities. As regards installing similar facilities in the male and female toilets, I think the size of the toilets do not allow enough area to install them. If in the event Joseph CHAN is going to bring a baby along to the toilet I would suggest he use the handicapped toilet for the napkin changing. There is no signage outside the toilet because people will know that there is such facilities especially in the new toilets. As regards putting in a temporary facility I do not think it is necessary because sooner or later we will speed up the renovation process and when there is new design new facility will be included. At the moment if we put in temporary facilities it will be just a waste of financial resources.

Page 30 of 132

Page 30Page 31

Page 31 of 132

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. JASON YUEN KING-YUK, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-Mr. Chairman, this question is in three parts and concerns the usage of the Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre.

First of all the Visual Arts Centre has been designed not as a normal museum with permanent exhibits for visitors but as a centre of workshops for visual artists. The Council holds only two temporary exhibitions a year in its relatively small exhibition hall like the inaugural exhibition on prints and the special exhibition of modern Italian glass sculpture last year. And the hall is hired thereafter by the public for the remaining of the year. Workshops are normally closed to visitors in order not to disturb the hirers. It seems therefore more relevant to answer the question to the usage rate of the facilities rather than the number of attending visitors although the figures of visitors to the two UC temporary exhibitions as mentioned and to the private exhibition by the public in the exhibition hall since its opening in May last year are still very encouraging. Coming back to the centre itself, the centre has been designed to provide well equipped studio facilities for use by practising artists. When planning for the centre commenced, wide consultation with potential users was carried out to determine the types of facilities to be provided, and as a result of the consultation, it was decided to provide 9 art studios, covering work on ceramics (2 studios), sculpture (3 studios) and print-making (4 studios). These three media cover the main stream of modern art and require sophisticated equipment and associated facilities (e.g. drains to be provided with anti corrosive pipes and so on) which all but the most established artists are unable to provide for themselves. The Centre is also provided with, as already mentioned, an exhibition space of 220M2 for staging small scale art exhibitions, a 70 seat lecture theatre and 2 small seminar rooms for art lectures and other educational activities.

In the first 13 months of its operation, since May 1992, the Centre has attracted over 109 000 visitors to its exhibitions, including those UC exhibitions and privately run exhibitions, and has recorded 989 bookings for the studios.

1993 — Page 30

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