HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
99
Regarding long-term measures, the Department had proposed in the consultation paper on the Recreation Select Committee's Five Year Plan (dated March this year) that activities rooms for small children should be provided in all indoor games halls constructed in the coming five years. In designing new children activities rooms, the Department will take care of the needs of the small children aged 4 or below.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):-I have four follow-up questions. The first one is whether the Department has plans to review the wastage in terms of utilisation of the existing 12 children play rooms or activities rooms and the problem of failure to meet the needs of children and parents. At present, children play and activities rooms provided in indoor games halls or UC complexes open from 9 am to 5 pm (8 hours) on Sundays, 6 pm to 10 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 5 pm to 10 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In other words, they open 35 hours in a week and are closed at other times. Is this wastage of resources in respect of the Council's facilities of children play rooms and children activities rooms? Some parents who do not go to work before 5 pm may take their children to use the facilities; other children may not go to school in the morning, or they may not go to school in the afternoon recess, or they do not go to school in the morning recess. Thus the demand for the facilities is there. Under the circumstances, if we do not review the opening hours to meet the demand, is this wastage?
The second question is whether the existing design and facilities are in proportion to the children population in the urban area. I would like to know about the planning standard in this regard, i.e., what is the children population for provision of one children playroom or activity room? How many children between 4 and 9 would be entitled to a room? How many children between 2 and 4 will be entitled to a room? How is the standard set?
The third question is, given that the summer vacation will arrive soon, would the existing unreasonable situation be changed expeditiously so as to satisfy the needs of the public? According to the data supplied in the reply by the Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, there is only one children play room at Java Road UC Complex for a population of over 600,000 in Eastern District but 5 for other districts on Hong Kong Island, namely one for Wanchai, three for Central and Western and one for Southern District. For Eastern District, apart from Java Road UC Complex, there are no children play rooms or activity rooms in the UC Electric Road Complex, Quarry Bay Indoor Games Hall or Chai Wan Indoor Games Hall. Does this mean that the children population is concentrated in Wanchai, Central & Western and Southern Districts and there are very few children between 4 and 9 or below 4 in Eastern District? In view of the above, will the Select Committee review the situation and aim at opening up other periods of the day for the benefit of children in the coming summer vacation?
The fourth question asks whether there is sufficient publicity on play and activity room facilities. I wonder if most children or their parents are aware of
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
99
Regarding long-term measures, the Department had proposed in the consultation paper on the Recreation Select Committee's Five Year Plan (dated March this year) that activities rooms for small children should be provided in all indoor games halls constructed in the coming five years. In designing new children activities rooms, the Department will take care of the needs of the small children aged 4 or below.
MR. WONG KWOK-HING (in Cantonese):-I have four follow-up questions. The first one is whether the Department has plans to review the wastage in terms of utilisation of the existing 12 children play rooms or activities rooms and the problem of failure to meet the needs of children and parents. At present, children play and activities rooms provided in indoor games halls or UC complexes open from 9 am to 5 pm (8 hours) on Sundays, 6 pm to 10 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 5 pm to 10 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. In other words, they open 35 hours in a week and are closed at other times. Is this wastage of resources in respect of the Council's facilities of children play rooms and children activities rooms? Some parents who do not go to work before 5 pm may take their children to use the facilities; other children may not go to school in the morning, or they may not go to school in the afternoon recess, or they do not go to school in the morning recess. Thus the demand for the facilities is there. Under the circumstances, if we do not review the opening hours to meet the demand, is this wastage?
The second question is whether the existing design and facilities are in proportion to the children population in the urban area. I would like to know about the planning standard in this regard, i.e., what is the children population for provision of one children playroom or activity room? How many children between 4 and 9 would be entitled to a room? How many children between 2 and 4 will be entitled to a room? How is the standard set?
The third question is, given that the summer vacation will arrive soon, would the existing unreasonable situation be changed expeditiously so as to satisfy the needs of the public? According to the data supplied in the reply by the Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, there is only one children play room at Java Road UC Complex for a population of over 600 000 in Eastern District but 5 for other districts on Hong Kong Island, namely one for Wanchai, three for Central and Western and one for Southern District. For Eastern District, apart from Java Road UC Complex, there are no children play rooms or activity rooms in the UC Electric Road Complex, Quarry Bay Indoor Games Hall or Chai Wan Indoor Games Hall. Does this mean that the children population is concentrated in Wanchai. Central & Western and Southern Districts and there are very few children between 4 and 9 or below 4 in Eastern District? In view of the above, will the Select Committee review the situation and aim at opening up other periods of the day for the benefit of children in the coming summer vacation?
The fourth question asks whether there is sufficient publicity on play and activity room facilities. I wonder if most children or their parents are aware of
Page 102 of 654
Page 102 of 654
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