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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LO KING-MAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL (in English):-I second the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-OK, then I will call on the next speaker, Dr. The Hon. Elsie Tu.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English):-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I begin this speech, Mr. Chairman, I wish to apologise to you and to my colleagues who will be speaking on Thursday. LegCo has several meetings scheduled for Thursday afternoon including one with the Governor and one on the Sports Development Board Bill which is very important for this Council. So if I am not here on Thursday, it is not my disrespect to my colleagues. I will now continue my speech.
While statesmen and politicians argue on political reforms and on the future of Hong Kong, the Urban Council is just quietly getting on with the job of enriching city life for both now and the future. For this I wish to congratulate my colleagues on the Council, the Council Secretariat, and the Urban Services Department that carries out the hard work on the ground.
It would be difficult to find a single person in Hong Kong who has not in some way benefitted from the work of the Council. Children are provided with playgrounds and pitches; young people are provided with tennis courts and concerts; adults are provided with film festivals and cultural activities; the elderly and the handicapped are provided with exercises and entertainment. For everyone in Hong Kong there are parks, swimming-pools, libraries, markets, and numerous other services - the list is endless. Further plans are in store for additional services such as film archives, museums and civic centres. For all of us there is a health service to supervise food and food premises, public toilets, and to keep the city not only clean but increasingly green. Moreover, this Council was the first to introduce concessionary prices for the elderly and free entertainment for the handicapped and children. We should be thankful to our large family of workers who day by day care for the needs of the whole population of the city and make it run smoothly through all kinds of weather, those who keep the machinery oiled and in good running order in sunshine or storm.
I am not suggesting that we are perfect and without fault. Some members of the public, for example, will complain because we prosecute hawkers and drive them off the streets; others will complain that we do not do enough to prosecute them and drive them off the streets. Some will welcome our provision of garbage collection points to keep the environment clean, provided we put the garbage collection points in someone else's street but not in their own. There are social problems of this kind which may never be totally solved, but during the past few years some of the worst blackspots have been improved. Others still need to be improved and we must not relax our efforts.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I personally feel proud to be a member of this Council. I feel happy to have seen it grow, and to see its logo displayed in every corner of the city. I feel proud that this Council has thrown off its divisions and bickerings of the past and that it now takes a balanced view of life in the city, keeping things running smoothly and harmoniously. While the Council remains outside the political controversies that disturb Hong Kong today, I am happy that this Council provides a stable influence. Indeed I feel proud to be your representative, proud of the Council's track record on all matters under its jurisdiction. If we do not appear often in the news, it is probably because we are doing quite well - only sensational or scandalous news attracts the headlines nowadays.
On a personal note, I should especially like to thank my colleagues for their sound advice throughout the years. It is not easy for a non-party member in the Legislative Council, because I have to consider all the pros and cons of every bill or policy, while party members may just have to follow the party line. Your advice on those matters that concern the Urban Council are therefore very much appreciated, and so far all the advice you have given has been easy for me to accept because it coincides with my own views. I am particularly happy that your advice on the political reforms, which do affect the future of this Council, have been given so clearly and decisively, so that I can speak up with real conviction. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your support, and thanks to my colleagues for their sound advice.
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in your speech, you talked about our Central Library that is to be built and also the progress of computerization of our libraries. Actually these are two things that are important in our services provided to the public. As Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee, I would like to talk about these.
Expansion of the Urban Council library service is progressing well in accordance with the 5-year programme. Moreton Terrace has been sited for the proposed Hong Kong Central Library which is scheduled for completion in 1997. A more detailed construction plan is expected to be available shortly.
The Library Computerization Project is in good progress. The central computer system has been installed at the Electronic Data Processing Centre and is being used for cataloguing library materials. Acceptance test for the system is expected to be conducted in March 1994.
Site preparation for the Library Head Office and Lai Chi Kok Public Library, the first library to be computerised, is now under way, while that for the other branch libraries will follow in phases. Lai Chi Kok Public Library will be computerized in March 1994.
The conversion of catalogue is in hand and is scheduled for completion in June 1994.
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149
148
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LO KING-MAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL (in English):-I second the motion.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-OK, then I will call on the next speaker, Dr. The Hon. Elsie Tu.
DR. THE HON. ELSIE TU (in English):-Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Before I begin this speech, Mr. Chairman, I wish to apologise to you and to my colleagues who will be speaking on Thursday. LegCo has several meetings scheduled for Thursday afternoon including one with the Governor and one on the Sports Development Board Bill which is very important for this Council. So if I am not here on Thursday, it is not my disrespect to my colleagues. I will now continue my speech.
While statesmen and politicians argue on political reforms and on the future of Hong Kong, the Urban Council is just quietly getting on with the job of enriching city life for both now and the future. For this I wish to congratulate my colleagues on the Council, the Council Secretariat, and the Urban Services Department that carries out the hard work on the ground.
It would be difficult to find a single person in Hong Kong who has not in some way benefitted from the work of the Council. Children are provided with playgrounds and pitches; young people are provided with tennis courts and concerts; adults are provided with film festivals and cultural activities; the elderly and the handicapped are provided with exercises and entertainment. For everyone in Hong Kong there are parks, swimming-pools, libraries, markets, and numerous other services the list is endless. Further plans are in store for additional services such as film archives, museums and civic centres. For all of us there is a health service to supervise food and food premises, public toilets, and to keep the city not only clean but increasingly green. Moreover, this Council was the first to introduce concessionary prices for the elderly and free entertainment for the handicapped and children. We should be thankful to our large family of workers who day by day care for the needs of the whole population of the city and make it run smoothly through all kinds of weather, those who keep the machinery oiled and in good running order in sunshine or storm.
I am not suggesting that we are perfect and without fault. Some members of the public, for example, will complain because we prosecute hawkers and drive. them off the streets; others will complain that we do not do enough to prosecute them and drive them off the streets. Some will welcome our provision of garbage collection points to keep the environment clean, provided we put the garbage collection points in someone else's street but not in their own. There are social problems of this kind which may never be totally solved, but during the past few years some of the worst blackspots have been improved. Others still need to be improved and we must not relax our efforts.
Page 73 of 132
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
I personally feel proud to be a member of this Council. I feel happy to have seen it grow, and to see its logo displayed in every corner of the city. I feel proud that this Council has thrown off its divisions and bickerings of the past and that it now takes a balanced view of life in the city, keeping things running smoothly and harmoniously. While the Council remains outside the political controversies that disturb Hong Kong today, I am happy that this Council provides a stable influence. Indeed I feel proud to be your representative, proud of the Council's track record on all matters under its jurisdiction. If we do not appear often in the news, it is probably because we are doing quite well-only sensational or scandalous news attracts the headlines nowadays.
On a personal note, I should especially like to thank my colleagues for their sound advice throughout the years. It is not easy for a non-party member in the Legislative Council, because I have to consider all the pros and cons of every bill or policy, while party members may just have to follow the party line. Your advice on those matters that concern the Urban Council are therefore very much appreciated, and so far all the advice you have given has been easy for me to accept because it coincides with my own views. I am particularly happy that your advice on the political reforms, which do affect the future of this Council, have been given so clearly and decisively, so that I can speak up with real conviction. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your support, and thanks to my colleagues for their sound advice.
Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. JOSEPH CHAN YUEK-SUT (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, in your speech, you talked about our Central Library that is to be built and also the progress of computerization of our libraries. Actually these are two things that are important in our services provided to the public. As Chairman of the Libraries Select Committee, I would like to talk about these.
Expansion of the Urban Council library service is progressing well in accordance with the 5-year programme. Moreton Terrace has been sited for the proposed Hong Kong Central Library which is scheduled for completion in 1997. A more detailed construction plan is expected to be available shortly.
The Library Computerization Project is in good progress. The central computer system has been installed at the Electronic Data Processing Centre and is being used for cataloguing library materials. Acceptance test for the system is expected to be conducted in March 1994.
Site preparation for the Library Head Office and Lai Chi Kok Public Library, the first library to be computerised, is now under way, while that for the other branch libraries will follow in phases. Lai Chi Kok Public Library will be computerized in March 1994.
The conversion of catalogue is in hand and is scheduled for completion in June 1994.
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