Minutes of the 10th Meeting ofCulture, Leisure & Social Affairs Committee (2012-13)

Central and Western District Council

Date : 19 September 2013 (Thursday)Time : 2:30 pmVenue : Conference Room

14/F, Harbour Building 38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Present:ChairmanMr CHAN Chit-kwai, BBS, JP*

MembersMr CHAN Choi-hi*Mr CHAN Ho-lim, Joseph (2:52 pm - end of the meeting)Mr CHAN Hok-fung*Ms CHENG Lai-king (2:39 pm - end of the meeting)Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan (3:45 pm - end of the meeting)Mr CHEUNG Yick-hung, Jackie (2:35 pm - 5:20 pm)Mr HUI Chi-fung (2:30 pm - 3:55 pm)Mr IP Kwok-him, GBS, JP*Mr KAM Nai-wai, MH*Dr Malcolm LAM (2:30 pm - 4:00 pm)Mr LEE Chi-hang, Sidney (2:36 pm - 4:12 pm)Miss LO Yee-hang*Mr MAN Chi-wah, MH* (2:30 pm - 3:20 pm)Mr NG Siu-keung, Thomas, MH, JP (2:30 pm - 3:32 pm)Mr YIP Wing-shing, BBS, MH, JP*

Co-opted MembersMr CHAN Wing-hang*Mr Ng Wing-yan, MH (3:11 pm - end of the meeting)Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing*Ms LEUNG Shuk-yi, Emily*Mr Edward CHEUK (2:35 pm - end of the meeting)Mr WONG Sai-kit*

Remarks: * Members who attended the whole meeting( ) Time of attendance of Members

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Guests

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Item 4Dr LUK Che-chung Cluster Chief Executive (Hong Kong West)/Hospital

Chief Executive (Queen Mary Hospital/Tsan Yuk Hospital)

Dr Wendy TSUI Chief of Service, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care (Hong Kong West Cluster)

Dr Alfred KWONG Associate Consultant, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care (Hong Kong West Cluster)

Ms Mabel KWONG

Item 5

Public and Community Relations Officer (Hong Kong West Cluster)

Ms CHAN Chin-woon, Cynthia Chief School Development Officer (Central Western and Southern), Education Bureau

Ms LAW Wai-ling, Wanda Senior School Development Officer (Central Western and Southern) 1, Education Bureau

Miss CHAN Ka-hay Representative of SSGC Alumnae DSS Concern GroupMiss Joy LIU Representative of SSGC Alumnae DSS Concern GroupMs Pauline AU

Item 6

Representative of Parent Follow-up Group Against SSGC to Switch to DSS

Ms CHAN Shuk-hing, Daphne

Item 7

Senior Librarian (Central and Western), Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Mr CHAU Hing-wah Curator (Intangible Cultural Heritage), Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Dr LAM Kam-yuen Assistant Curator I (Intangible Cultural Heritage) 1, Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Professor LIU Tik-sang

Item 9

Director of South China Research Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Ms TAM On-kei, Susan Manager (Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens), Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Item 10Miss WONG Shuk-fan, Elisa Senior Manager (Cultural Services) Hong Kong West,

Leisure and Cultural Services DepartmentMs LEE Wing-yee, Winnie Manager (Hong Kong West) Marketing, Programme

and District Activities, Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Item 11Ms SO Chui-ying, Winnie Principal Assistant Secretary (Planning and Lands) 4,

Development BureauMr CHOW Man-hong, Mann Assistant Secretary (Urban Renewal) 2, Development

BureauMr YAU Chung-hok, Lawrence Director (Corporate Communications), Urban Renewal

AuthorityMr AU Chun-ho, Wilfred Deputy Chief Manager (Planning and Design) Urban

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Renewal AuthorityMr FUNG Wan-yeung, Herman Head of Conservation Portfolio, Urban Renewal

AuthorityMr AU Cheuk-ming Representative of the Cloth Traders from Western Market

In Attendance:Miss CHOW Ho-kiu, Cheryl, JP District Officer (Central and Western)Mr CHAN Yun-man, Winston Assistant District Officer (Central and Western)Ms WONG Ming-wai Senior Executive Officer (District Council), Central and

Western District OfficeMr CHU Kam-sing, Daniel Assistant District Social Welfare Officer (Central

Western/Southern and Islands), Social Welfare Department

Ms Doris CHUN Senior Community Relations Officer, Independent Commission Against Corruption

Ms LAW Wai-ling, Wanda Senior School Development Officer (Central Western and Southern) 1, Education Bureau

Mr LAI Fai-keung Neighbourhood Police Co-ordinator, Police Community Relations Office, Central District, Hong Kong Police Force

Mr TSOI Kwok-ming Neighbourhood Police Co-ordinator, Police Community Relations Office, Western District, Hong Kong Police Force

Miss WONG Shuk-fan, Elisa Senior Manager (Cultural Services) Hong Kong West,Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Ms LEE Wing-yee, Winnie Manager (Hong Kong West) Marketing, Programme andDistrict Activities, Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Ms CHOW Pui-shan, Cindy Deputy District Leisure Manager (District Support) Central and Western, Leisure and Cultural ServicesDepartment

SecretaryMiss YAU So-shan, Susan Executive Officer (District Council) 5

Central and Western District Office

Absent due to Indisposition (maternity leave):Ms SIU Ka-yi

Absent with Apologies:Mr WONG Kin-shing

Opening Remarks

The Chairman welcomed all to the 10th meeting of the Culture, Leisure & Social Affairs Committee (CLSAC) (2012-2013) under the Central and Western District Council (C&WDC). The Secretariat had received notification of absence from District Council (DC) Meetings from the Vice-Chairlady and Mr WONG Kin-shing before the meeting. The Vice-Chairlady had attached a maternity leave certificate to

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her notification, indicating that she could not attend the meeting due to indisposition. The Chairman proposed to handle her absence from meetings as absence with consent under Article 49(1) of the Standing Orders of the C&WDC. There was no objection.

Item 1: Adoption of the agenda

2. As there were no comments from Members, the agenda was adopted.

Item 2: Confirmation of the minutes of the 9 th CLSAC meeting on 27 June 2013

3. As Members had no comments on the minutes of the 9th CLSAC meeting, the minutes were confirmed.

Item 3: Chairman’s report

4. The Chairman had nothing particular to highlight.

Item 4: Hong Kong West Cluster 2013/2014 Annual Plan (C&W CLSAC Paper No. 41/2013) (2:34 pm – 2:56 pm)

5. Dr LUK Che-chung, Cluster Chief Executive (Hong Kong West)/Hospital Chief Executive (Queen Mary Hospital/Tsan Yuk Hospital) and Dr Wendy TSUI, Chief of Service, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Health Care (Hong Kong West Cluster) of the Hospital Authority (HA), briefed Members on the Hong Kong West Cluster (HKWC) 2013/2014 Annual Plan.

6. The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. The views and questions of Members were as follows:

(i) Mr CHAN Choi-hi enquired the HA about the possibility of accommodating the Victoria Public Mortuary as an ancillary facility in the Queen Marry Hospital (QMH) redevelopment project. He also asked the HA to provide the number of complaints from the HKWC patients and relevant follow-up actions. He also expressed concern over the recruitment of healthcare staff, especially medical practitioners. He suggested the HA step up publicity and improve the employment terms so as to attract manpower.

(ii) Ms CHENG Lai-king indicated that with an ageing population in Hong Kong, the demand for medical services would keep going up. She enquired whether the HA could train sufficient healthcare staff to meet the future demand.

7. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Dr LUK Che-chung of the HA replied as follows:

(i) The HA had discussed with the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and the Department of Health on the relocation of the Victoria Public Mortuary, and had closely monitored the available space at the QMH. The HA would give priority to the provision of medical services over other ancillary facilities.

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Moreover, the overseas consultants of the QMH redevelopment project were of the preliminary view that the area of the re-developed hospital was barely enough to cope with the clinical and teaching demands. Hence, there was no space to accommodate the Victoria Public Mortuary for the time being.

(ii) The HA would provide the number of complaints from patients and relevant follow-up actions after the meeting.

(iii) The HA greatly welcomed overseas doctors to practise in Hong Kong to alleviate the long-standing shortage of manpower in public hospitals. The HA had conducted a number of overseas recruitment exercises and would continue to recruit healthcare staff in a proactive manner. However, non-local doctors who would like to practise in Hong Kong were subject to the assessment and approval of the Medical Council of Hong Kong; and

(iv) The FHB had set up a manpower planning team to anticipate the required number of healthcare staff. The team would coordinate with tertiary institutions on the intake of students to meet the demand of the healthcare sector, but some doctors might join the private healthcare market.

8. The Chairman hoped that the HA could give more information on the QMH redevelopment project in future. He thanked the HA representatives for attending the meeting.

Item 5: Transformation of traditional subsidised schools to Direct Subsidised Scheme schools(C&W CLSAC Paper No. 31/2013)

(2:56 pm – 3:54 pm)

9. The Chairman said that according to Article 15(1) of the C&WDC Standing Orders, representatives of St Stephen’s Girls’ College (SSGC) Alumnae Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) Concern Group and the Parent Follow-up Group Against SSGC to Switch to DSS, were specially invited to speak on the paper.

(i) Ms Pauline A U , representative of the Parent Follow-up Group Against SSGC to Switch to DSS (the follow-up group), said that the plan of SSGC and St Stephen’s Girls’ Primary School (St Stephen’s) to switch to the DSS had sparked heated debates recently on issues such as the DDS and the switching of traditional prestigious subsidised schools to DSS schools. Although SSGC indicated on 19 August 2013 that it would not apply to turn DSS for the time being, the incident had reflected the problems currently faced by subsidised schools, such as insufficient resources, over-regulation by the Education Bureau (EDB) and insufficient autonomy in student admission, etc. If such fundamental problems were not rooted out, other traditional prestigious subsidised schools would inevitably use the DSS as a means to evade the above problems. Taking into account the different backgrounds of DSS schools, what the follow-up group objected to was not the DSS, but the switching of traditional prestigious subsidised schools to DSS schools. Over the past decade, more and more traditional prestigious subsidised schools had turned DSS. Such a switch was tantamount to privatise public assets which had triggered a series of social problems. The high tuition fee had deprived

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students from grassroots or ordinary families of the opportunity to enter DSS schools. As students of DSS schools had similar socio-economic background, they were unable to study in a diversified, inclusive and good learning environment, thereby hindering upward social mobility and widening poverty gap. In addition, DSS schools could enjoy more resources and flexibility by applying for subvention from the EDB and charging tuition fees at the same time. This was unfair to ordinary subsidised schools. As a result, more and more subsidised schools turned DSS to enjoy the advantages. In order to solve the fundamental problems between subsidised and DSS schools, the follow-up group had lodged a complaint to the Legislative Council, requesting the EDB to address the unfairness and social impact arising from the different regulatory regimes of subsidised and DSS schools, and to review if the DSS had met the original policy objective. Prior to the review, the follow-up group opined that all DSS applications submitted by subsidised schools must be put on hold and hoped that Members would support the request. Moreover, the follow-up group supported motion 1 in the paper: “To object the transformation of traditional subsidised schools in the C&W District to DSS schools”. In addition, the follow-up group expressed their disappointment with the EDB’s bureaucratic written reply. Obviously, subsidised schools were put at a disadvantage in terms of resources and student admission. If the trend of the switching continued, the sound foundation of the subsidy school system and public education would be undermined. Therefore, it was necessary for the EDB to refine the existing system of subsidised schools, including reviewing the resource allocation, appropriately allowing them more flexibility in deploying resources and announcing the admission results of DSS and subsidised schools at the same time.

(ii) Ms CHAN Ka-hay , representative of SSGC Alumnae DSS Concern Group, said that as pointed out by many scholars, the question at issue in DSS schools was not the fee remission/scholarship schemes per se, but the invisible barriers and labelling effect brought about by the two schemes, which would make students hesitate to even take the step of submitting applications. St Stephen’s intended to joing the DSS on the pretext of dissatisfaction with the existing education system, yet many traditional subsidised schools had outstanding achievements under the same subvention mode. The consultation method adopted by the school and the nature of its concern group members reflected that the school’s stance was too biased. Moreover, the school did not face up and respond to the voting result which showed a majority opposition from teachers and students. The proportions of subsidised schools and DSS schools in the C&W District had become imbalanced. The primary and secondary school places in DSS and private schools had soared to 40% of the total, which was more than double the average of other districts. This should be a cause for concern of the public and Members. The EDB refused to review the current subvention mode, but put the blame on schools’ ability to allocate resources. The Government should have established a system in line with the prevailing development and faced up to the trend of traditional subsidised schools joining the DSS. To identify the root causes of the problem, the system must be comprehensively reviewed. Lastly, besides supporting motion 1 in the paper: “To object the transformation of traditional subsidised schools in the C&W District to DSS schools, including St Stephen’s Girls’ College and Primary School”, she also requested to add the

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following words to motion 2 “The EDB must review the DSS and put all DSS applications on hold while reviewing the DSS”.

10. The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. The views and questions of Members were as follows:

(i) Mr MAN Chi-wah said that the DSS scheme could enable schools to be more flexible in handling administration and student admission matters. Many schools that joined the DSS operated quite well. He opined that DSS schools had their own merits and that applications to join the DSS should not be opposed across the board. As DSS schools had their own merits, the EDB should review the existing system of subsidised schools, bridge the gap between DSS and subsidised schools and enhance the flexibility of subsidised schools. Many subsidised schools had joined the DSS already and it would be unfair if the EDB refused new applications from of subsidised schools to join the DSS. He said that there were also various problems of labelling effect in traditional subsidised schools. Lastly, he supported schools to join the DSS upon gaining support of all stakeholders.

(ii) Ms CHENG Lai-king worried that parents and students would not consider DSS schools because of its exorbitant tuition fees. She opined that students should be entitled to equal opportunities in education under the principle of education for all. Although St. Stephen’s had shelved its application to join the DSS for the time being, she hoped that stakeholders could further discuss the issue of joining the DSS later.

(iii) Mr CHAN Choi-hi was unsatisfied that the School Council of St Stephen’s did not attend the meeting and regretted its evasive attitude to an open discussion. He pointed out that according to the figures of the EDB, the number of cases of subsidised schools joining the DSS was the highest in the C&W District. The EDB had to stop subsidised schools from joining the DSS to maintain equal education opportunities for children in the district. Moreover, he said that the middle class was becoming impoverished in the society and school fees became a heavy burden for parents. He added that the original motion 1 aimed to stop the trend in which more and more subsidised schools in the C&W district joined the DSS in order to enable students enjoy equal opportunities in education and to uphold the justice of education.

(iv) Mr KAM Nai-wai was very unsatisfied that the School Council of St Stephen’s did not face up to the society’s opposing views. He would not support schools that disregarded the views of the C&WDC to join the DSS. He requested the CLSAC to write to the school to express its dissatisfaction on the school’s absence. Moreover, he supported the original motion 1 and motion 2 of the paper, whose aim was to stop subsidised schools in the district from joining the DSS immediately. He further said that many subsidised schools regarded DSS as an escape from various constraints. To resolve the problem completely, the EDB should discuss measures with stakeholders so that schools could use resources flexibly without having to join the DSS. He supported the principle of education for all. He opined that on the DSS issue, St. Stephen’s should reflect on the objective and philosophy of its establishment over one hundred years before.

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(v) Mr IP Kwok-him respected the different views of St. Stephen’s, parents and students on the joining of the DSS. He opined that the amended motion 1 was different from the original motion. Firstly, it was difficult to define “traditional subsidised schools”. Secondly, every application of subsidised schools to turn DSS should be considered separately and should not be turned down across the board. If a consensus was reached among stakeholders, joining the DSS was acceptable. He opined that it would be disrespect for the diversity of education development by opposing the application of all subsidised schools to turn DSS. DSS schools had their own merits and shortcomings and the EDB should allow more flexibility for educators to enhance the quality of education.

(vi) Mr CHAN Hok-fung opined that joining the DSS was not a matter of right or wrong. The DSS was designed to assist private schools with the difficulty of under-enrolment and provide more choices for parents. The crux of the debate between stakeholders of schools and the general public lied in the difference of their perceptions and expectations. The management of schools hoped to admit good students while the society opined that schools should not only admit good students, but also take care of students with less privileged backgrounds. He agreed that the DSS should be reviewed so that schools would not become increasingly aristocratic. He reiterated that if all stakeholders supported joining the DSS, their wish should be respected. This was reason for amending motion 1.

(vii) Mr YIP Wing-shing agreed that everyone should be equal under the education system and students should not be deprived of the right to enter prestigious schools. However, if a school joined the DSS under the consensus of its stakeholders and members of the community, the C&WDC should respect that decision. He opined that the EDB should study why so many subsidised schools opted to join the DSS. He supported the amended motion 1 but was against the original motion in which all schools were rejected to join the DSS across the board.

(viii) The Chairman said that he had personally invited the representatives of St Stephen’s to attend the meeting, but the invitation was turned down. He clarified that the traditional subsidised schools referred to in the original motion did not refer to private schools or new schools that switched to DSS schools. He pointed out that the proportion of students who could benefit in the case of subsidised schools dropped from 100% to 10%-20% in the case of DSS schools. He learned from the principal of St Stephen’s that subsidies on different areas had to be used exclusively for the designated area and could not be shared among all. The unspent balance in each area had to be returned to the EDB before the deadline. He opined that the EDB’s subsidy system had restricted schools in utilising resources flexibly and was the reason why so many subsidised schools switched to DSS schools. Moreover, there would be labelling effect for students who applied for subsidies in DSS schools. According to the statistics provided by the EDB, 24% of the secondary schools in the C&W District had become DSS schools. In view of the trend that the schools in the district were switching to DSS schools, the EDB had to review the subsidy system thoroughly to enhance Hong Kong’s education.

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11. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Ms Cynthia CHAN, Chief School Development Officer (Central Western and Southern) of the EDB replied as follows:

(i) The DSS was a diversified system that allowed schools to have greater flexibility in many areas, including curriculum design, resource deployment and admission of students;

(ii) In considering the applications from subsidised schools to turn DSS, the EDB would attach great importance to how schools responded to stakeholders’ views and the supply and demand of school places in the district;

(iii) There were views that the subvention mode of subsidised schools had restricted the flexible utilisation of resources. In fact, the EDB would disburse recurrent subsidies to subsidised schools, including Salaries Grant and the Operating Expenses Block Grant/Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant etc. according to the number of approved classes in a school year. The provision of government subvention should be sufficient for subsidised schools to cover all operating expenditure. However, the EDB noticed that some subsidised schools were unable to utilise the resources flexibly. According to the statistics of the audit reports of the schools, the subsidy surplus of subsidised schools amounted to six months’ operating expenditure while that of primary schools amounted to five months’ expenditure, showing that some schools were relatively conservative in financial planning. The EDB had reminded schools to have sound financial planning and budgeting in utilising government funding to meet the needs of current students as well as school development and various policies priorities to make sure that resource deployment was cost-effective. The EDB would discuss with individual schools their situation of utilisation of resources where necessary. With the establishment of Incorporated Management Committees, schools would receive the Expanded Operating Expenses Block Grant and would be provided with even more flexibility and autonomy in the use of funds. In addition, the EDB would provide additional subsidies to teachers and cash grants to subsidised schools under various education measures. For instance, there were additional subsidies to schools in the areas of liberal studies and information technology; and

(iv) Although a Member opined that subsidised schools regarded DSS as an escape from the constraints of the subsidy, in fact subsidised schools also enjoyed autonomy in student admission. Schools could make use of up to 30% of the school places to enroll students in the discretionary places allocation stage, yet they could not assess students by written tests to avoid labelling effect. Subsidised schools that would like to become DSS schools had to explain to the EDB the reasons for switching to DSS schools and their preparatory work, including how to communicate with stakeholders, etc.

12. The Chairman commenced the second round of discussion. The views and enquiries of Members were as follows:

(i) The Chairman asked the EDB to respond to the two requests raised in the paper.

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(ii) Mr Sidney LEE opined that the main reason for subsidised schools turning DSS was that English-medium schools and traditional prestigious schools wanted to keep English as the medium of instruction (MOI). Those schools worried that central allocation would lower the English proficiency of their students or even be forced to become Chinese-medium schools. He said that the EDB should give schools the autonomy to decide which MOI to use, and review the problems brought about by it, such as the labelling effect.

13. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Ms Cynthia CHAN of the EDB replied as follows:

(i) In response to the request set out in the paper for DSS schools and subsidised schools to announce the admission results simultaneously, the EDB had discussed with the school principals' associations of various districts and the Secondary School Places Allocation Committee, and the views of various districts/school councils were diverse. The education sector was worried that announcing the admission results simultaneously would cause a lot of problems, such as the workflow of admission of students and workload. The EDB respected the views of the education sector; and

(ii) The problem with the MOI pointed out by Mr Sidney LEE no longer existed. The EDB had introduced fine-tuned arrangements of the MOI for Secondary One classes since the 2010/11 school year. Schools could choose to use English as the MOI in all or some of the non-language subjects at the junior secondary level according to the readiness of teachers for teaching in English, the ability of students to learn in English and the support measures of schools.

14. The Chairman asked Members to vote on the amended motion 1.

Amended motion 1:“To object to the transformation of traditional subsidised schools in the Central and Western District to Direct Subsidy Scheme schools without the support of students, their parents as well as teachers of the schools concerned and the public.”

15. The Chairman declared that the amended motion 1 was passed.(20 Members voted for the motion: Mr CHAN Hok-fung, Ms CHENG Lai-king, Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, Mr Jackie CHEUNG, Mr HUI Chi-fung, Mr IP Kwok-him, Mr KAM Nai-wai, Dr Malcolm LAM, Mr Sidney LEE, Miss LO Yee-hang, Miss SIU Ka-yi (authorised Mr CHAN Hok-fung to vote on her behalf), Mr MAN Chi-wah (authorised Mr YIP Wing-shing to vote on his behalf), Mr Thomas NG (authorised Mr YIP Wing-shing to vote on his behalf), Mr WONG Kin-shing (authorised Ms CHENG Lai-king to vote on his behalf), Mr YIP Wing-shing, Mr CHAN Wing-hang, Mr WONG Sai-kit, Ms Emily LEUNG, Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing and Mr Ng Wing-yan);(No Member voted against the motion);(3 Members abstained from voting: Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, Mr CHAN Choi-hi and Mr Edward CHEUK).

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16. The Chairman asked Members to vote on the original motion 2. He added that “optimise” in the original motion 2 included the meaning of “review”.

“To optimise the existing system of subsidised schools for enhanced flexibility and better utilisation of resources of these schools.”

17. The Chairman declared that the original motion 2 was passed.(23 Members voted for the motion: Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, Mr CHAN Choi-hi, Mr CHAN Hok-fung, Ms CHENG Lai-king, Mr CHEUNG Kwok-kwan, Mr Jackie CHEUNG, Mr HUI Chi-fung, Mr IP Kwok-him, Mr KAM Nai-wai, Dr Malcolm LAM, Mr Sidney LEE, Miss LO Yee-hang, Miss SIU Ka-yi (authorised Mr CHAN Hok-fung to vote on her behalf), Mr MAN Chi-wah (authorised Mr YIP Wing-shing to vote on his behalf), Mr Thomas NG (authorised Mr YIP Wing-shing to vote on his behalf), Mr WONG Kin-shing (authorised Ms CHENG Lai-king to vote on his behalf), Mr YIP Wing-shing, Mr CHAN Wing-hang, Mr Edward CHEUK, Mr WONG Sai-kit, Ms Emily LEUNG, Mr YEUNG Hoi-wing and Mr Ng Wing-yan)(No Member voted against the motion);(No Members abstained from voting).

18. The Chairman closed the discussion of the paper and thanked the EDB representatives and the two representatives of the Concern Group for attending the meeting.

Item 6: Request for the provision of short message reminder service by the public libraries

(C&W CLSAC No. 32/2013) (3:54 pm – 4:06 pm)

19. The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. The views and questions of Members were as follows:

(i) Mr CHAN Hok-fung appreciated that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) had handled the matter in a proactive manner. He supported the LCSD to develop mobile applications instead of providing short message reminder service. The figures provided by the LCSD showed that late return of books was very common as the number of overdue library materials in the previous year was over three million. Late return of books would affect the next borrower who had reserved the book. Therefore, he believed that the general public would support the LCSD’s suggestions.

(ii) Mr KAM Nai-wai said that significant administrative cost would be incurred if short messages were adopted to remind borrowers to return books. He supported the LCSD to develop mobile applications because it could save the expenses on short messages and automatically remind users to return books by mobile applications. He believed that users would welcome such a value-added service. In addition, he opined that increasing the overdue fine could effectively encourage borrowers to be more mindful of returning books, thus increasing the flow of books.

(iii) Mr Sidney LEE was concerned that litigation might arise if the mobile applications broke down or failed and did not remind borrowers to return books on time. Borrowers would have a misconception that the Government

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was responsible to remind them to return books. Therefore, he suggested that the LCSD seek legal advice or introduce legislation to protect the Government’s interest.

(iv) Ms CHENG Lai-king said that the LCSD had already provided the email notification service for readers, reminding readers to return their borrowed materials. Readers could also quickly and conveniently renew the materials through the LCSD’s homepage. She said that the LCSD had to tackle the problems that might arise from the mobile applications and the relevant procedures when the readers use the applications, and should not launch the applications rashly.

20. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Ms Daphne CHAN, Senior Liberian (Central and Western), of the LCSD replied as follows:

(i) She thanked Members for supporting the LCSD to develop mobile applications. The LCSD would have to pay a large amount of short message fees, so it planned to develop mobile applications for providing personal and convenient library services with the reminder function. The implementation of mobile applications would not affect the current email notification service.

(ii) Readers who wanted to use the library notice of due date reminder had to register for the service at the Hong Kong Public Libraries homepage with their library card and to set up a password. The homepage had stated clearly the registration procedures for readers’ reference. The LCSD had also promoted the service from different channels. Upon registration of the service, readers would receive library notices through email two days before the due date, listing information such as the book title and due date. Readers could immediately renew the borrowed item by logging into their accounts at the renewal homepage which could be accessed from the link provided in the email.

(iii) The LCSD had upgraded the library automation system in late 2011 in which the setting of reservation service had changed. Under the current system, readers’ reservation would be filled by the available copies. To a certain extent, readers’ reservation would not be affected by overdue or renewal of books by other readers.

(iv) Regarding Mr Sidney LEE’s concern about the legal matters on the mobile applications, it was stated clearly in the Libraries Regulation that overdue fines were imposed on books returned late. The fixed charge was $1.5 and $0.5 per day for each loan item borrowed respectively from an adult library and children's library. The charge was aimed at reminding and encouraging readers to return library materials on time.

21. The Chairman appreciated the LCSD’s proactive efforts in following up the issue and thanked the LCSD representatives for attending the meeting.

Item 7: The territory-wide survey of intangible cultural heritage in Hong Kong (C&W CLSAC Paper No. 38/2013) (4:06 pm – 4:32 pm)

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22. Mr CHAU Hing-wah, Curator (Intangible Cultural Heritage) of the LCSD and Professor LIU Tik-sang, Director of South China Research Center of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), briefed Members on the findings of the first territory-wide survey of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in Hong Kong and sought their views on the “Draft ICH Inventory of Hong Kong”.

23. The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. The views and questions of Members in relation to the paper were as follows:

(i) Ms CHENG Lai-king enquired the LCSD (1) whether “Taiping Hongchao” was a traditional blessing ceremony of the North District; and (2) whether the Muslim was not listed on the inventory because of its relatively short history in Hong Kong.

(ii) The Chairman was concerned about the system of ICH bearers. He indicated that cultural heritage at the national level was appointed by the national government. He enquired whether the LCSD had laid down any requirements for the system of ICH bearers. He pointed out that Macau had taken a proactive role in ICH conservation, especially in the application of ICH and the establishment of the ICH bearer system. Hong Kong had lagged behind and should step up efforts in this area.

(iii) Mr Jackie CHEUNG enquired about the feasibility of listing “fung shui” and fortune telling on the draft inventory.

24. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Mr CHAU Hing-wah of the LCSD replied as follows:

(i) “Taiping hongchao” was a traditional blessing ceremony of the North District. This was the first time that Hong Kong conducted a territory-wide survey of ICH. Because of resource and time constraints, the inventory was not exhaustive. For example, there was not a separate item on religion. The LCSD would continue the research and supplement the ICH inventory of Hong Kong;

(ii) Hong Kong did not have any regulations to govern the ICH bearer system; and

(iii) Hong Kong and Macau started to pursue the conservation of ICH at the same time. In fact, Hong Kong proceeded with a faster pace than Macau. It had finished the territory-wide survey of ICH, but Macau had not even begun.

25. In response to Mr Jackie CHEUNG’s enquiry, Professor LIU Tik-sang replied that “fung shui” and fortune telling had been put on the follow-up inventory of ICH in Hong Kong. As “fung shui” and fortune telling involved a complicated system, the LCSD needed much time to clarify the details.

26. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the LCSD and HKUST for attending the meeting.

Item 8: Literary Trail in the Central and Western District of Hong Kong –

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Starting point of “Hong Kong Island Literary Trail”(C&W CLSAC Paper No. 43/2013)

(4:32 pm – 4:41 pm)

27. The Chairman briefly introduced the paper. It was proposed to establish a literary trail in the C&W District which would link the literary trail in the Southern District to form the Hong Kong Island Literary Trail under the invitation of the Southern District Council. The six litterateurs showcased in the literary trail in the Southern District were also associated with the C&W District. For example, D AI Wangshu used to reside at 92 Pok Fu Lam Road. The Hong Kong Island Literary Trail was suggested to start in the C&W District and finish in the Southern District. He said that the proposal of developing the Hong Kong Island Literary Trail had gained the support of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Hong Kong. The issue had been discussed in the informal CLSAC meeting held previously and he revised the paper having regard to the views of Members. If Members agreed with the suggestion of developing the literary trail in the C&W District, a working group would be set up later to follow up on the paper. He hoped the C&WDC could promote literature under limited resources. He invited discussion on the paper. The views and questions of Members were as follows:

(i) Mr KAM Nai-wai supported the suggestion of the setting up of the literary trail in the C&W District but he worried that the cost of the interpretative panels would be higher than the quoted cost set out in the paper. He said that the then cost of each interpretative panel of the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail was as high as $100,000, but the colour would not come off under the influence of outdoor weather.

(ii) Mr IP Kwok-him agreed with the provision of a literary trail in the C&W District. He proposed the cost and design of the interpretative panels be discussed by the Working Group on District Minor Works first and then considered by the CLSAC. If it turned out that the estimated cost of the interpretative panels was much higher than the quoted cost set out in the paper, Members might have to give it a second thought.

(iii) Ms CHENG Lai-king concurred with the contents of the paper. She said that the places where litterateurs frequented in the old days might have become residential buildings or shops. Therefore, the C&WDC had to consult nearby residents on the erection of interpretative panels after it had decided the exact location of erection.

28. The Chairman thanked Members’ support on the provision of the literary trail. In response to Members’ views and questions, he responded that the interpretative panels of the Sun Yat-sen Historical Trail were more expensive because they were made in foreign countries. The proposed panels for the trail would be made in the Mainland and cost around $20,000 each but the investigation cost prior to erection was not included. CLSAC Members’ views on the interpretative panel project would be sought after the project was discussed by the Working Group on District Minor Works. He added that he could arrange a movie show about Xiao Hong for Members after the meeting. Lastly, he announced the endorsement of the paper to provide a literary trail in the C&W District and the Secretariat would later assist in the setting up of a non-standing working group to follow up the suggestions in the paper.

Item 9: Striving for additional provision of elderly fitness equipment in the

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Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens(C&W CLSAC Paper No. 39/2013)

(4:41 pm – 4:44 pm)

29. Mr Jackie CHEUNG supplemented the contents of the paper. He said that many elders hoped that the LCSD could provide additional elderly fitness equipment in the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens (HKZBG). He had conducted a site inspection on the HKZBG earlier with representatives of the department and opined that there were two locations which were suitable for providing the facilities. One was the fountain terrace garden and the other one was the sitting-out area adjacent to the children’s playground. He welcomed Members’ views on the two locations.

30. Ms Susan TAM, Manager (Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens) of the LCSD responded that the department always cared about the needs of park users and had provided an “Elderly Fitness Corner” near the Camellia Garden in late 2009. The department would actively discuss with the Architectural Services Department on the provision of additional elderly fitness equipment at the two locations suggested by Mr Jackie CHEUNG.

31. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the LCSD for attending the meeting.

Item 10: Arts and cultural activities organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in the Central and Western District(C&W CLSAC Paper No. 40/2013)

(4:44 pm – 4:47 pm)

32. Miss Elisa WONG, Senior Manager (Cultural Services) Hong Kong West of the LCSD reported to Members the cultural and art activities organised in the C&W District during July to November 2013 as well as the usage of the Sheung Wan Civic Centre in August and September 2013.

33. The Chairman said that the utilisation rates of the three venues of the Sheung Wan Civic Centre were very high and asked how the department could make the three venues available for the use of more organisations.

34. Miss Elisa WONG of the LCSD responded that the utilisation rate of the Sheung Wan Civic Centre would usually be higher during July to year-end. The department would process applications of organisations for booking venues in a fair, open and just manner according to the established hiring mechanism. The department would try its best to accede to the C&WDC’s requests to hire the venues.

35. The Chairman thanked the LCSD representatives for attending the meeting.

Item 11: Objection to the Expulsion of Cloth Traders from Western Market byUrban Renewal Authority(C&W CLSAC Paper No. 42/2013)

(4:47 pm – 5:27 pm)

36. Mr AU Cheuk-ming, representative of the Cloth Traders from Western Market hoped that the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) would relocate cloth traders affected by the redevelopment to continue business in the Western Market, as undertaken by the then Land Development Corporation (LDC). The Cloth Alley had made significant contributions to the

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territory, for example, providing unique fabrics to students and for filmmaking. He sincerely hoped that the URA and Development Bureau (DevB) could preserve the characteristics of Cloth Alley to prevent the traditional business from dying out.

37. Mr KAM Nai-wai supplemented the contents of the paper. The C&WDC had discussed the issue in 2011. The URA said that structural investigation and rehabilitation were required for the Western Market but it had never announced the progress and result of the investigation. Recently, there had been media coverage that the URA intended to develop the Western Market into a winery, causing panic among the cloth traders. It was also reported that the DevB would like to incorporate the Western Market into the Revitalising Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme. The URA and DevB denied the allegation in their written reply. Nevertheless, he would like them to reply the following questions: (1) Why did the URA not discuss with cloth traders on the delay in the investigation of the Western Market and what was its schedule regarding the Western Market development? (2) Would the URA honour the undertaking given by the then LDC of allowing cloth traders to continue their business? (3) Would the DevB take part in the Western Market development; if it would, which role would it play in the course?

38. In response to Mr KAM Nai-wai’s enquiries and views, Mr Lawerence YAU, Director (Corporate Communications) of the URA replied as follows:

(i) The URA had never intended to develop the Western Market into a winery;

(ii) When the then LDC rehabilitated the Western Market years before, it signed a 21-year contract with the Government. Prior to the expiry of the contract, the Government and the URA reached an agreement that the URA would conduct a comprehensive investigation on the building structure and facilities of the Western Market under a three-year term. The URA would take the chance to review facilities of the Western Market under the existing Buildings Ordinance. The Government would only consider the future development of the Western Market upon completion of the URA’s report which was expected to be available in late 2013. The URA would then discuss with the Government on the future use of the Western Market. For the time being, the Western Market was operating and the cloth traders were running business as usual; and

(iii) As regards the allegation that the URA did not sign a contract with cloth traders in respect of the three-year extended contract, the URA in fact had made the offer to them but they decided not to accept it due to disagreement about some terms. The traders were continuing their business by paying the former rent.

39. In response to Mr KAM Nai-wai’s enquiries and views, Ms Winnie SO, Principal Assistant Secretary (Planning and Lands) 4 of the DevB said that the EDB had no knowledge of the source of the report on winery. The DevB would discuss the development of the Western Market with the URA only when the investigation report was available. The DevB would then consider factors such as the structural condition of the Western Market, maintenance and the URA’s wish, etc.

40. The Chairman invited discussion on the paper. The views and questions of Members were as follows:

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(i) Mr IP Kwok-him opined that as a former non-executive director of the URA, he had never heard of the URA’s intention to develop the Western Market into a winery in his six-year term of office. He had paid a number of visits to the second floor of the Western Market and understood that the area of business for cloth traders was very cramped. He was concerned how to provide a better place for traders to run their business, and to preserve and promote such a special industry. He kept an open mind on the location of relocating the traders but he hoped the URA could put itself in the place of the traders.

(ii) Mr KAM Nai-wai was dissatisfied with the URA’s evasive attitude in responding to the questions on the timetable of the Western Market development and whether it would honour the LDC’s undertaking to relocate the cloth traders. He stressed that the URA should accord priority to relocating the traders as well as to identify an easily accessible site with affordable rental for traders to continue their business. He pointed out that the cloth traders already had great difficulties in business and urged the URA and DevB to handle the matter with a people-oriented approach.

(iii) Ms CHENG Lai-king said that there had been four streets with unique characteristics in Central. Among them, only the cloth traders of the Cloth Alley survived to continue their business in the Western Market. The then LDC had undertaken to relocate traders to the second floor of the Western Market and the URA had to honour the undertaking. She stressed that the right of the traders to be relocated should not be taken away. The Western Market was a building with special characteristics in the C&W District that was very suitable for the cloth industry. There were already a considerable number of wineries in the district and it was therefore not appropriate to make the Western Market another winery. She enquired the DevB about the timetable of developing the Western Market upon completion of the investigation, and whether it would surrender the Western Market to the URA.

(iv) Mr CHAN Hok-fung believed that the DevB and URA had no plan to develop the Western Market into a winery as stated in their reply. He was concerned about the way forward of both the Western Market and cloth traders. He suggested the URA relocate the cloth traders to the Central Market. As a public body, the URA should shoulder the responsibility to relocate the cloth traders and honour the undertaking to preserve places for their business.

(v) Mr Joseph CHAN requested the DevB to address proactively to the relocation of cloth traders, or the C&WDC would continue to follow up with the URA.

(vi) Mr YIP Wing-shing respected the rights of traditional industries to survive in the market. He hoped the URA would handle the relocation of cloth traders in a fair manner and indicated that the C&WDC would continue to follow up the matter.

(vii) The Chairman supported the previous arrangement of relocating cloth traders. He asked whether it was the LDC or Government that should be responsible for the relocation of cloth traders. He agreed that the URA should be

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responsible to relocate cloth traders and agreed with Mr CHAN Hok-fung’s suggestion to relocate cloth traders to the Central Market or its vicinity.

41. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Mr Lawrence YAU of the URA replied as follows:

(i) The management of the URA had never mentioned developing the Western Market into a winery. Personally he did not agree with the idea and doubted whether the public would accept it;

(ii) The fate of cloth traders would be decided according to factors such as the scale of maintenance upon completion of the investigation report. He pointed out that during the three years’ management by the URA, the operation of the Western Market would not undergo big changes. Subsequent to the investigation, the Government and URA would draw up initial directions and the URA would announce the details to the public; and

(iii) The URA would consider the fate of cloth traders in the context of responsibilities, laws and principles. The three-year contract between the URA and Government would expire in February 2015. He undertook that the URA, within its purview, would maintain close liaison with cloth traders and work towards a mutually acceptable proposal.

42. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Ms Winnie SO of the DevB responded that as the investigation report of the Western Market was pending, the DevB had no specific information on hand. The DevB and URA would report the latest information of the Western Market to Members upon completion of the investigation report.

43. The Chairman commenced the second round of discussion. The views and enquiries of Members were as follows:

(i) Mr KAM Nai-wai doubted that the URA was reluctant to shoulder the responsibility of relocating cloth traders. He reiterated that the URA must first admit responsibility to relocate cloth traders and upon completion of the investigation report, discuss with them the place of relocation depending on the structure of the Western Market. He urged the URA to admit responsibility on the spot and document it in the minutes.

(ii) Ms CHENG Lai-king was dissatisfied that the URA described the way forward of cloth traders as “fate”. She pointed out that Mr SHEK Lai-him, Abraham and Mr POON Kwok-lim, Steven, Chief Executive and Chairman of the then LDC respectively had undertaken to relocate the cloth traders and allow them to continue their business. Therefore, the cloth traders had the right to continue business in Western Market.

44. In response to Members’ enquiries and views, Mr Lawrence YAU of the URA replied as follows:

(i) The URA had no intention to play down the historical values of cloth traders and the industry by using the word “fate”. The URA only proposed solutions to deal with operation matters of the cloth traders;

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(ii) When the investigation report was pending, there were still many uncertainties for the future development of the Western Market. He hoped that the CLSAC and public could allow the URA and DevB more time to handle the matter. When the report was available, the URA would discuss the way forward of the Western Market with the Government and could provide a concrete response to Members. The URA recognised the efforts devoted by cloth traders over the years in the Western Market and the historical values of the industry. He reassured Members that upon completion of the investigation report, the URA would definitely discuss the development of the Western Market with them and cloth traders; and

(iii) Regarding to the changes or any special circumstances cloth traders might encounter in future, the URA undertook to uphold the spirit of respecting cloth traders and cloth industry. Also, the URA would try to understand the needs of cloth traders, discuss with Members at DC meetings and look for a mutually acceptable proposal.

45. Mr KAM Nai-wai requested the CLSAC to write to the DevB and URA, expressing its support to preserve the traditional business at Cloth Alley and requesting the URA to fulfil its responsibility to relocate the cloth traders.

46. The Chairman thanked the DevB and URA representatives for attending the meeting.

Item 12: Action checklist on matters arising from the 9th CLSAC meeting (2012/2013) (C&W CLSAC Paper No. 44/2013) (5:27 pm)

47. Members noted the matters arising and had no other comments.

Item 13: Reports of working groups (5:27 pm)

48. Members noted the reports of working groups and had no other comments.

Item 14: Any other business (5:27 pm)

49. No other business was raised by Members.

Item 15: Date of the next meeting (5:27 pm – 5:28 pm)

50. The Chairman announced that the 11th CLSAC meeting would be held on 14 November 2013. The paper submission deadline for government departments would be 24 October, while the deadline for Members would be 30 October.

51. The meeting was adjourned at 5:28 pm.

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The minutes were confirmed on 14 November 2013

Chairman: Mr CHAN Chit-kwai, BBS, JP

Secretary: Miss Susan YAU

Central and Western District Council SecretariatNovember 2013

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