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Following is a question by the Hon Lau Wong-fat and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho, in the Legislative Council today (January 24):
Question:
As there have been incessant criticisms about a lack of leisure and cultural services ("LCS") facilities in the rural areas of the New Territories, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the existing LCS facilities in the rural areas of the New Territories, as well as those under construction and those under planning by the Government in those areas, broken down by the respective areas of the 27 Rural Committees; and
(b) given that the Administration stated in November last year that it would continue to explore whether or not to adopt the public-private-partnership approach for implementing community works projects, whether the authorities have any plans to use this approach for providing more LCS facilities in the rural areas of the New Territories; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
Madam President,
My reply is as follows:
(a) A list of the existing leisure and cultural services (LCS) facilities in the rural areas of the New Territories, as well as those under construction and those under planning with breakdown by the respective areas of the 27 rural committees is at the Appendix.
(b) At present, all LCS facilities under planning are to be built under the Government's Public Works Programmes. We are actively exploring opportunities for using the public-private-partnership model for the operation, management and maintenance of these projects.
Ends/Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:29
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