Page 363 of 485
Page 363 of 485
4.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
77
To fully materialize and to accept long-term proposals submitted by non-governmental and amateur art groups. The power of the programmers should be further de-centralized.
Mr. Chairman and my colleagues, to sum up, I believe that the joint management by administrative staff and artistic experts cannot suit the needs of today. Besides, our administrative staff have to spend most of their life time on equipping themselves with professional knowledge to deal with problems. However, when they have the ability to solve these professional problems, they are also due for transfer. Therefore, the cultural officers simply do not have time to think about the artistic directions for different fields of culture and art. What direction our policy on culture and art will take depends on whether my colleagues can drop their prejudices and accept that centralization of the power of UC and the Department should be changed to decentralization of power to the front line officers so that we can really move towards the direction of separation of administration from professionalism.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
Ms. GRACE AU YUK-HAR (in Cantonese):-
The Urban Council should keep pace with the times
Mr. Chairman, I have been an Urban Councillor for less than a year and do not have much experience. Nevertheless, I have identified quite a number of areas which the Council and Department should improve in order to enhance the quality of municipal services in Hong Kong.
The management of parks
First, I would like to express my views on the management of parks. Although the urban area is densely populated and land is precious, there are 803 parks and gardens under the management of the Urban Council. How to manage them well is thus an important matter. As I visit the parks, I find that there is a phenomenon worth noting: quite a high percentage of visitors, both old and young, smoke in the park. Non-smokers in the park can only choose between leaving the park and becoming second-hand smokers.
In recent years, as people become more health-conscious, an anti-smoking sentiment has arisen throughout the world. There are medical findings that smoking is, to a certain extent, hazardous to health. Of course, everybody has the freedom to choose whether to smoke or not and it is certainly a personal choice. However, if such a choice infringes the rights of other people, the Urban Council, as an institution providing public services, should formulate some guidelines or regulations so as to protect other people's rights.
Mr. Chairman, you have served on the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health as Chairman and have dedicated yourself to the promotion of anti-smoking policies. Your spirit is commendable and your work has achieved admirable
Page 363 of 485
Page 363 of 485
Page 363 of 485
Pac
4.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
77
To fully materialize and to accept long-term proposals submitted by non- governmental and amateur art groups. The power of the programmiers should be further de-centralized.
Mr. Chairman and my colleagues, to sum up, I believe that the joint management by administrative staff and artistic experts cannot suit the needs of today. Besides, our administrative staff have to spend most of their life time on equipping themselves with professional knowledge to deal with problems. However, when they have the ability to solve these professional problems, they are also due for transfer. Therefore, the cultural officers simply do not have time to think about the artistic directions for different fields of culture and art. What direction our policy on culture and art will take depends on whether my colleagues can drop their prejudices and accept that centralization of the power of UC and the Department should be changed to decentralization of power to the front line officers so that we can really move towards the direction of separation of administration from professionalism.
With these remarks, I support the motion.
Ms. GRACE AU YUK-HAR (in Cantonese):-
The Urban Council should keep pace with the times
Mr. Chairman, I have been an Urban Councillor for less than a year and do not have much experience. Nevertheless, I have identified quite a number of areas which the Council and Department should improve in order to enhance the quality of municipal services in Hong Kong.
The management of parks
First, I would like to express my views on the management of parks. Although the urban area is densely populated and land is precious, there are 803 parks and gardens under the management of the Urban Council. How to manage them well is thus an important matter. As I visit the parks, I find that there is a phenomenon worth noting: quite a high percentage of visitors, both old and young, smoke in the park. Non-smokers in the park can only choose between leaving the park and becoming second-hand smokers.
In recent years, as people become more health-conscious, an anti-smoking sentiment has arisen throughout the world. There are medical findings that smoking is, to a certain extent, hazardous to health. Of course, everybody has the freedom to choose whether to smoke or not and it is certainly a personal choice. However, if such a choice infringes the rights of other people, the Urban Council, as an institution providing public services, should formulate some guidelines or regulations so as to protect other people's rights.
Mr. Chairman, you have served on the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health as Chairman and have dedicated yourself to the promotion of anti-smoking policies. Your spirit is commendable and your work has achieved admirable
Page 363 of 485
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