Minutes of the 5th Meeting of the Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce, Industries, Tourism and

Recreation Affairs Committee of Tai Po District Council in 2016 Date: 15 July 2016 (Friday)

Time: 9:30 a.m.

Venue: Conference Room, Tai Po District Council Present:

Time of Arrival Time of Withdrawal

Mr. YU Chi-wing, Ken Chairman Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LI Kwok-ying, BBS, MH,

JP Vice-chairman Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

Mr. AU Chun-wah Member 11:05 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Cho-leung, MH Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHAN Siu-kuen, MH Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. CHOW Yuen-wai Member 9:36 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. KWAN Wing-yip Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Dr LAU Chee-sing Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LAU Yung-wai Member 9:42 a.m. End of the meeting Mr. LI Wah-kwong, Rex Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LO Hiu-fung Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. TAM Wing-fun, Eric Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. TANG Ming-tai, Patrick Member Beginning of the meeting 10:46 a.m. Ms. WONG Pik-kiu, BBS,

MH, JP Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

Mr. WOO Kin-man, Clement Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YAM Kai-bong, Francis Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. YAM Man-chuen Member Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting Mr. LAM B Co-opted Member Beginning of the meeting 1:21 p.m. Miss LIU Ka-man, Mandy Secretary Beginning of the meeting End of the meeting

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In Attendance:

Mr. FUNG Ho-lam, Chris Agricultural Officer (Agricultural Extension)/Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

Mrs. STEWART Pik-ha, Sara Fisheries Officer (Mariculture Development)/Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department

Mr. CHAN Lap-wai Senior Assistant Shipping Master(North)/Marine Department Mr. CHAN Yiu-wa, Andrew Chief Health Inspector (Tai Po)1/Food and Environmental Hygiene

Department Ms. NG Wing-yin Deputy District Leisure Manager (Tai Po)1/Leisure and Cultural

Services Department Mr. NG Chi-keung, Barry Senior Librarian (Tai Po)/Leisure and Cultural Services Department Miss TSANG Mei-ying, May Senior Manager (NTE) Promotion/Leisure and Cultural Services

Department Miss NG Sheung-han, Alice Manager (NTE) Marketing & District Activities/Leisure and Cultural

Services Department Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung Senior Executive Officer (District Council)/Tai Po District

Office/Home Affairs Department Mr. CHAN Hoi-ming, Peter Senior Liaison Officer (1)/Tai Po District Office/Home Affairs

Department Absent:

Mr. CHU King-yuen, BBS, MH, JP Co-opted Member Opening remarks

The Chairman welcomed participants to the 5th meeting of the Agriculture, Fisheries, Commerce, Industries, Tourism and Recreation Affairs Committee (“ATRC”) and congratulated the following persons on being recipients of honor/award/appointment from the Chief Executive:

(i) Ms. WONG Pik-kiu (Bronze Bauhinia Star)

(ii) Mr. CHAN Cho-leung (Medal of Honor)

(iii) Mr. LAM B (Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service)

2. The Vice-chairman congratulated the Chairman on the award of the Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service.

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3. The Chairman announced the following:

(i) Ms. NG Sheung-han, Manager (NTE) Marketing & District Activities, Leisure and Cultural Services Department accompanied Miss TSANG Mei-ying, May, to attend this meeting.

(ii) Mr. CHU King-yuen, Co-opted Member, was unable to attend this meeting, for which he had submitted an absence notification to the Secretariat. Pursuant to Order 51(1) of the Standing Orders of the Tai Po District Council, the Tai Po District Council (“TPDC”) would only approve a Member’s application for absence due to physical illness, provision of jury service, representing the TPDC to attend meetings/events or Legislative Council/Executive Council meetings, on childbirth or paternity leave. According to the aforesaid provision, Mr. CHU’s application was not approved.

I. Confirmation of the minutes of the 4th meeting of the ATRC in 2016 on 13 May 2016 (TPDC Paper No. ATR 32/2016)

4. The Chairman reported that neither had the Secretariat received any proposed amendments to the minutes of the last meeting, nor had Members proposed any amendments to the said minutes at this meeting. The said minutes were confirmed without amendment.

II. Report on the assistance provided for the agricultural industry by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and matters concerning the mariculture industry in May and June 2016

(TPDC Paper No. ATR 33/2016) (I) Assistance provided for the agricultural industry by the Agriculture, Fisheries and

Conservation Department 5. Mr. Chris FUNG introduced Appendix I to the captioned paper and reported as follows:

(i) over the past two months, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (“AFCD”) had held 11 technical seminars for over 450 people.

(ii) the local Organic Watermelon Festival was held from 1 to 2 July this year at the Tai Po Farmers' Market. A total of 49 farmers participated in the event and over 6 500 people visited the Market. Total sales turnover amounted to $370,000, which was higher than that of the Organic Watermelon Festival held in Sha Tin last year. This year’s Organic Watermelon Festival introduced Thai yellow-flesh watermelon “Magnolia” and Taiwan red-flesh watermelon “Diana”.

(iii) the AFCD launched the “Erection of Rain Shelter” program to help farmers tackle the rainy season and increase crop yields.

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6. A Member opined that the AFCD should step up publicity of the Organic Watermelon Festival in Tai Po District. He also asked the Department to provide Members with information on those technical seminars and the free use of agricultural machinery. (II) Matters concerning the mariculture industry 7. Mrs. Sara STEWART introduced Appendix II to the captioned paper and reported as follows:

(i) the AFCD did not receive any report on fish death between May and June 2016.

(ii) during the same period, the AFCD received a red tide report in Tai Po but no fish death report. The red tide was formed by the non-toxic algae Noctiluca commonly found in Hong Kong. The Department had reminded fish farmers to keep a close watch on their rafts and timely pump oxygen into the water.

8. Members’ comments were as follows:

(i) a Member said that since the occurrence of fish kills in Sam Mun Tsai in December 2015, many fish farms had suspended fish culturing. That was why the AFCD did not receive any report on fish death. He suggested the AFCD to invite academic institutions to put fry into the waters of various districts to test the suitability of the sea water for fish farming, so as to restore the confidence of fish farmers. In addition, he hoped that the AFCD would send representatives to meet the fish farmers of Yim Tin Tsai East and Yim Tin Tsai West to inform them of the latest development of the matter.

(ii) a Member agreed to the above proposal. In addition, he believed that the AFCD should subsidise fish farmers to purchase fry and inform them of the best time for breeding fry.

(iii) a Member criticised the AFCD’s red tide notification system for failing to timely provide fish farmers with material information. He believed that the Department should improve the notification system and keep close contact with fish farmers.

9. Mrs. Sara STEWART responded that the AFCD had been liaising with fish farmers and providing technical support to them. She said that the Department learned that fish farmers had already begun releasing fry and that wild fish had been swimming around the rafts lately. She added that relevant monitoring data confirmed the water quality to be normal. However, she remarked that the timing for releasing fry varies with fish species and so, farmers should judge when to do so, considering all conditions. 10. The Chairman requested the AFCD to send representatives to meet the fish farmers of Yim Tin Tsai East and Yim Tin Tsai West.

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III. Report on the quantity of refuse collected from Tolo Harbour in May and June 2016 by the Marine

Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (TPDC Papers No. ATR 34/2016 and ATR 35/2016) 11. Mr. CHAN Lap-wai reported that the Marine Department (“MD”) collected 16.12 tonnes and 17.46 tonnes of floating refuse from the inner waters of Tai Po in May and June 2016 respectively. 12. Mr. Andrew CHAN reported that the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (“FEHD”) collected 0.81 tonnes and 0.528 tonnes of marine litter at Tolo Harbor in May and June 2016 respectively. 13. The first round of views put forward by Members was as follows:

(i) a Member asked whether the waste drifted from the Mainland recently had any impact on the bays, fishermen and water channels of Tai Po.

(ii) a Member remarked that several departments had inspected the condition of coastal refuse at a few locations within Tolo Harbour on 17 June this year. However, up till now, the refuse had not been removed. He urged the FEHD to clean up the refuse as soon as possible.

(iii) a Member asked why the refuse collected this year was more than previous years.

(iv) a Member said that the recent increase in coastal refuse might be caused by frequent rain. As the rubbish in Tolo Harbour would attract mosquitoes and rodents, affecting the environment of Pak Shek Kok, he urged the MD and the FEHD to expedite the disposal of the refuse.

14. Mr. CHAN Lap-wai responded as follows:

(i) officers of the MD had inspected the waters around Tai Po, Tung Ping Chau and Sai Kung from a Government Flying Service helicopter. Apart from the bay at Tap Mun, the MD had not found large quantity of marine litter in other sea or coastal areas.

(ii) as of early this month, the MD had not received any report about refuse floating in the waters of northeastern Hong Kong.

(iii) rain during rainy season and strong winds would carry onshore litter or debris on fish rafts into the sea, resulting in an increase in the quantity of marine litter collected. The MD had urged the contractor to step up the clearance of floating refuse around Tai Mei Tuk.

15. Mr. Andrew CHAN responded that the FEHD normally would not clean up fallen leaves and branches. As requested by Members, the FEHD had instructed the contractors to clean up fallen leaves and branches and other rubbish at Sha Lan on 25 July this year, and gradually clean up non-gazetted beaches as well.

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16. The second round of views put forward by Members was as follows:

(i) a Member asked whether the FEHD was responsible for the clean-up of seashore refuse.

(ii) a Member said that there were complaints from the public regarding garbage accumulation in Lam Tsuen River after heavy rain. He urged the FEHD to remove the rubbish there. Besides, he hoped that the Drainage Services Department (“DSD”) would send representatives to attend ATRC meetings on a regular basis so that members could directly request them to follow up relevant matters.

(iii) the Vice-Chairman said that the relevant department had thoroughly done cleaning at Lam Tsuen River three times upon request by Members. He suggested that the relevant department do the cleaning job regularly.

(iv) a Member suggested that a letter be sent in the name of the ATRC, requesting the department concerned to regularly clean up the silt deposited at Lam Tsuen River bed.

(v) a Member said that only if the department concerned failed to do cleaning at Lam Tsuen River despite the request by Members shall the ATRC invite that department to send representatives to attend its meetings regularly.

(vi) a Member said that the Civil Engineering and Development Department (“CEDD”) had helped clean up Tai Po River. He suggested writing a letter to the department concerned requesting it to assign representatives to inspect the site with Members.

17. Mr. Andrew CHAN responded that the FEHD was responsible for cleaning up waste on non-gazetted beaches and would do the job during low tide, so it might not be able to clean up places at once as requested by Members. He added that the FEHD had assigned a cleaning contractor to regularly clear the floating refuse on Lam Tsuen River. 18. Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung said that the ATRC could invite representatives from the department concerned to attend its meetings as regards special agendas but it should ponder if it was necessary to require departmental representatives to attend its meetings on a regular basis. 19. Regarding the problem of garbage and silt accumulation at Lam Tsuen River, the Chairman decided to write to the department concerned, requesting it to assign representatives to inspect the site with Members. Depending on the results of the inspection, he would decide whether to invite representatives of the department concerned to attend ATRC meetings regularly. (Post-meeting note: The Secretariat had written to the DSD, CEDD and FEHD (see Annex I) about the

waste and silt accumulation at Lam Tsuen River. These departments had already responded to Members’ views (see Annex II). Representatives of these departments and Members carried out an inspection at Lam Tsuen River on 31 August 2016.)

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IV. Report on the response to community activities held in May and June 2016 and the planned

community activities to be held in July and August 2016 in Tai Po by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (TPDC Paper No. ATR 36/2016) 20. Ms. NG Wing-yin introduced Appendix I to the captioned paper and reported as follows:

(i) the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (“LCSD”) organised 156 activities in May and June 2016 for a total of 3 325 people. Key activities included swimming, life-saving and hydro-fitness classes.

(ii) the LCSD planned to organise 182 activities in July and August 2016. Key activities included various youth and children classes. About 5 235 participants were expected to take part in the activities.

(iii) to further promote “sport for all”, the LCSD would hold the “Sport for All Day 2016” on 7 August this year. This event adopted the theme “Scale New Heights”, encouraging people of all ages and those with disabilities to maintain a healthy lifestyle by participating in various sports activities. It also called on the general public to support local athletes to strive for excellence in major international competitions. On that day, a variety of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities would be open to the public, including tennis courts, squash courts, badminton courts, fitness rooms, dance rooms and swimming pools. Members of the public might book these facilities at the LCSD’s Leisure Link Booking Offices starting from 9:00 a.m. on 31 July on a first-come-first-served basis.

(iv) “Tai Po Sport for All Day 2016” would be held from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on 7 August this year at the Tai Po Market Sports Center. It would include ball games for the disabled and for parents and children, towel exercise, baduanjin, parent-child yoga, health talks and exercise demonstration. The opening ceremony would be held at 2:30 p.m. in the Coliseum. The ATRC’s Chairman and “Tai Po Sports ambassadors” (namely Mr. LO Hiu-fung and Mr. YAM Man-chuen) were invited to attend the ceremony. Members were welcome to come and show support on that day.

(v) the 6th Hong Kong Games (“HKG”) would be held in 2017. The HKG is a biennial territory-wide major multi-sport event with the 18 District Councils (“DCs”) as participating units. Its objectives were to provide amateur athletes with opportunities for exchanges and developing potentials, improving sporting standards at the district level, strengthening community cohesion, and facilitating communication among the 18 districts.

(vi) the press conference for the 6th HKG was held on 13 June this year. The 18 DCs had started to select athletes for the HKG. As in the past, the TPDC, the Tai Po Sports Association (“TPSA”) and the LCSD had set up a Regional Working Group to plan, publicise, select athletes, organise district delegations and cheerleading.

(vii) the Regional Working Group held its first meeting on 11 July this year, during which

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Members made suggestions on the content of the competitions and the organisation of regional delegations. It would report progress to the ATRC on a regular basis.

21. Miss May TSANG introduced Annexes A to E to Appendix II to the captioned paper. 22. Mr. Barry NG introduced Annexes 1 to 2 to Appendix III to the captioned paper. He reported that between May and June 2016, the LCSD organised 66 promotional activities at the Tai Po Public Library with a total attendance of 55 754. 23. A Member pointed out that the utilisation rate of the activity rooms at the Tai Po Civic Center was very low. He asked how the LCSD would improve the situation. 24. Miss May TSANG responded that the two activity rooms were mainly used for training and one of them was being upgraded to a black-box theater and was suspended for use. She said that the upgrading work would be completed by the end of this year and the theater could be used as a performance venue by the resident small and medium arts groups of the Arts Development Centre (converted from the Tai Po Government Secondary School), thereby aligning with the work of the Centre and enhancing the usage rate of the activity room. 25. A Member suggested that the LCSD offer concessions to these small and medium arts groups for the use of the activity rooms. 26. Miss TSANG said that the LCSD would consider the above suggestion.

V. Report of Working Group 27. Mr. Eric TAM reported as follows:

(i) the Working Group on Promotion and Publicity held its second meeting this year on 29 June. At the meeting, it had resolved to apply to the ATRC for the 2016-17 District Council funds (“DC Funds”) to produce publicity materials. The details were as follows:

(a) $40,000 to print large-size 2017 calendars

(b) $60,000 to print medium-size 2017 calendars

(c) $40,000 to print red packets

(d) $30,000 to produce pencil cases

(ii) the Working Group had concurred in printing on the publicity materials the name of the TPDC, its emblem and the QR code of the mobile app of Tai Po, and printing on both types of calendars the website and e-mail address of the TPDC.

(iii) the Working Group had authorised him to decide on the final quantity of production and

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distribution of the publicity materials, provided that he would optimise the use of resources and not exceed the fund allocated. He would follow up the matter with the Secretariat.

(iv) the Working Group had agreed to apply to the ATRC for $20,000 to work with the “DIGiTAL EYE” to update and publicise the “Tai Po Fun” mobile app.

(v) on the proposal to print additional copies of the book “Traditions and Heritage in Tai Po”, the Working Group considered the cost of printing too high. As there were still more than 60 copies in stock, it was inappropriate to reprint it for the time being. It would be more appropriate to use the resources to make publicity materials. Members could obtain the book from the Secretariat. The public could also download it from the TPDC’s website or borrow it from a public library.

28. A Member said that the existing stock was not for public distribution and the public might not have access to the book. He asked whether the Working Group would consider adopting other forms of printing to reduce cost so as to enable the distribution of the book to the public to promote the culture of Tai Po. 29. Mr. Eric TAM responded that the existing stock should be sufficient to meet the needs for the time being and the Working Group would consider printing additional copies of the book if it had more resources in the coming year. He reminded Members that part of the contents of the book was outdated and re-editing would involve a certain cost. Moreover, he pointed out that the first print of the book cost over $100 per copy and therefore, printing additional copies would not be a simple decision.

VI. Applications for DC Funds (TPDC Paper No. ATR 37/2016) 30. The Chairman requested that Members declare interests where necessary in respect of the 30 applications for the 2016-17 DC Funds submitted to the ATRC for vetting. 31. The Secretary said that pursuant to Orders 48(9) and 48(10) of the Tai Po District Council Standing Orders (“TPDC Standing Orders”), a Member shall declare interests if he found he had direct personal interests, pecuniary interests or other interests in the applications for DC Funds under consideration, or had links with the benefited party or the potential benefited party. She continued that the Secretariat had compiled a declaration form (see Annex III) based on the information collected, which set out the links between Members and the hosting/partnering/co-hosting organisation concerned, and indicated by different colours whether Members were executors of the activities concerned, or held a substantive or non-substantive position. She asked Members to check the information contained in the declaration form and make revisions or give supplementary information where necessary. She reminded Members that apart from links with the hosting/partnering/co-hosting organisation concerned, a Member should also declare interests if he had any direct personal interests, pecuniary interests or other interests in the applications for DC Funds to be examined at this meeting.

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32. The Vice-chairman declared that he was the volunteer legal adviser of the Sai Kung North Rural Committee without substantive office duties. Mr. CHAN Cho-leung and Mr. LO Hiu-fung declared that they were members of the Tai Po District Fire Safety Committee. Other Members also declared their interests according to the information contained in the Annex. 33. The Secretary indicated that regarding the activities hosted by the Committees/Working Groups under the Tai Po District Office (“TPDO”), Members/Working Groups did not have to declare their interests in respect of their posts; if the person participating in the vetting process had no other interest in such activities, he did not have to keep silent in or withdraw from the meeting. 34. The Chairman said that he had declared his links with the hosting organisations of “Tai Po Children's Choir (III)”, “Integrated Dance Class (III)”, “Chinese Music Class (III)”, “ Tai Po Cultural Night 2016” and “One Day trip to Tung Chung and Tai O”. The Vice-Chairman also declared his links with the hosting and co-hosting organisations of “Tai Po Sports Association 2016 to 2017 Hong Kong Taekwondo Invitational Tournament”, the “16th New Territories Inter-District Volleyball League”, the “20th New Territories Inter-District Badminton League”, the “31st New Territories Inter-District Athletic Meet”, the “2nd Tai Po Soccer Sevens Cup (2016-2017)”, “One Day Trip to Tung Chung and Tai O”, “Lam Tsuen Luk Wo Soccer Cup Tournament” and “Watching ‘Glacier’ Movies in a ‘Hot Summer’”. Pursuant to Order 48(12) of TPDC Standing Orders, he asked the Members who had not disclosed their interests under Order 48(9) to determine if he and the Vice-chairman could speak in relation to the fund applications of the said activities or take part in voting, and whether they could remain in or had to withdraw from the meeting. 35. Mr. Eric TAM made the following comments: As the Chairman and the Vice-chairmen held non-substantive positions in some hosting organisations without involving pecuniary interest or other interest, they could take part in the discussion and resolution of the fund applications concerned. On the other hand, if the Chairman and the Vice-chairmen held substantive positions in some other hosting organisations without involving pecuniary interest or other interests, they were not required to withdraw from the meeting at which the fund applications concerned were being examined, but should remain silent during the discussion and abstain from resolution or voting. The ATRC could request that they provide supplementary information if necessary. 36. Members concurred with the comments of Mr. TAM. 37. The Chairman put forward the following suggestions: if Members had declared their links with the hosting/partnering/co-hosting organisations concerned and if they held a non-substantive position therein without involving pecuniary interest or other interests, they could take part in the discussion and resolution of the fund applications concerned. If they held a substantive position therein without involving pecuniary interest or other interests, they were not required to withdraw from the meeting at which the fund applications concerned were being examined, but should remain silent during the

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discussion and abstain from resolution or voting. The ATRC could request that they provide supplementary information if necessary. 38. Members agreed to the Chairman’s suggestions. 39. The Chairman indicated that if Members were satisfied that the said 30 fund applications fell within the ambit of DC Funds, they might consider endorsing them. (I) Five fund applications submitted by the Tai Po Sports Association 40. In response to a fund allocation from the TPSA to organise the “Tai Po Sports Association 2016 to 2017 Hong Kong Taekwondo Invitational Tournament” jointly with the Hong Kong Taekwondo Jung Do Kwan (“the Kwan”), Members raised the following questions:

(i) did the Kwan really need a fund to produce as many as 36 sets of trophies?

(ii) whether the Kwan anticipated 400 enrolments in the competition with 200 spectators.

(iii) the amount applied for scorer rental was too high as the purchase of a set of wireless electronic scorer cost just over $10,000. The Secretariat should conduct a market survey with respect to the fund application by the applicant.

41. The Secretary responded as follows:

(i) there would be 98 competitions in the Invitational Tournament, of which 36 had secured a sufficient number of participants and so an application was submitted for making 36 trophies. She asked Members to consider whether or not to waive the upper limit on the funding of prizes.

(ii) the TPSA anticipated that 400 people would enrol in the competition and 200 spectators would attend the competition.

(iii) the wireless electronic scorer could instantly display scores, allowing athletes to immediately consider whether to appeal in respect of the competition results. The TPSA would select the scorer’s renting service from the lowest bidder of tender. The relevant expense would be reimbursed according to the actual amount spent. If Members had reservations about the allocation amount, they might consider a reduction.

(iv) if DC fund was used to purchase capital goods of over $1,000, the applicant would have to consider a number of factors, such as whether the items would be suitable for other activities and storage problems. Some groups would give up purchases and choose rentals instead.

42. Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung responded as follows:

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(i) there were different reasons why a group applied for a waiver of funding limit. If the Secretariat had problems in reviewing the proposal, it would try to learn the reasons from the group. Members should also make decisions on the merits of each case.

(ii) the Secretariat was not a procurement specialist. If a Member was familiar with the market price of the project concerned, he/she could inform the meeting for reference. The ATRC would decide whether or not to approve the fund application according to the views of the majority of the Members.

43. Mr. LAU Yung-wai was against allocating fund to the TPSA for renting a wireless electronic scorer. As no objection was raised by other Members, the ATRC resolved to allocate $83,681 to the TPSA for organising the “Tai Po Sports Association 2016 to 2017 Hong Kong Taekwondo Invitational Tournament” jointly with the Kwan, at the same time waiving the funding limit for the expense items marked in Appendix I to the paper. 44. In response to the fund application from the TPSA in respect of the “16th New Territories Inter-District Volleyball League” (“the League”), the following questions were raised by Members:

(i) a Member asked about the anticipated number of participants and spectators.

(ii) a Member asked whether the TPSA was an organisation under the TPDC and whether its team members were Tai Po residents. He also asked whether other local groups could also apply for DC funds for participating in the League, and whether the New Territories Regional Sports Association had received sponsorship. He hoped that Members would consider whether or not to sponsor the TPSA to send its team to represent Tai Po District.

(iii) a Member enquired about the criteria for becoming a designated organisation mentioned in the Guidelines on TPDC Funds (“the Guideline”).

(iv) the Chairman suggested briefing the new DC Members on the background of some long-established local groups in the district.

45. The Secretary responded as follows:

(i) the TPSA would send men and women teams with 18 persons each to participate in the League. As the League was arranged by the New Territories Regional Sports Association, it was not possible to estimate the number of spectators.

(ii) the Secretariat currently did not have information about the League hosted by the New Territories Regional Sports Association.

(iii) some of the players in the Volleyball and Badminton teams sent by the TPSA were not residents of Tai Po. Athletes participating in the Inter-District Athletic Meet were students of Tai Po District. In addition, the TPSA would invite football players from all over Hong Kong to participate in the Tai Po Soccer Sevens Cup matches.

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(iv) should Members have any queries on the fund applications, they might submit them to the Secretariat two days before the meeting, so that the Secretariat would have sufficient time to know more from the applicant organisation.

46. Mr. Peter CHAN responded as follows:

(i) the TPSA was a non-governmental organisation whose core members were community members committed to promoting sports activities in the district. The TPDO had also provided financial assistance to them. The TPSA was one of the designated organisations in the Guideline. Each year, the TPDC would earmark funds for the TPSA to organise and co-ordinate various sports activities in the district.

(ii) the TPDO might arrange for an opportunity for the new DC Members to understand the background and operation of some of the long-established designated organisations.

47. Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung responded as follows:

(i) the Working Group on Review of Guideline on Allocation of DC Funds would review the contents of the Guideline annually. The revised Guideline would be submitted to the TPDC for endorsement. There were many historical factors in defining an organisation as a designated one. Members might query the eligibility of individual designated organisations at the meeting of the working group.

(ii) if an organisation was eligible as a non-governmental organisation, it could apply for funding from the DC. The ATRC would decide whether to approve the application or not.

48. With the exception of Mr. YAM Man-chuen and Mr. LAU Yung-wai, the majority of Members did not raise any objection to this fund application. The ATRC resolved to allocate $18,408 to the TPSA for participating in the League. (Post-meeting note: The LCSD would sponsor the New Territories Regional Sports Association to host

the League. The League was restricted for participation by the teams organised under the New Territories Sports Associations for Nine District. The New Territories Regional Sports Association did not sponsor the Sports Associations of various districts to participate in the League.)

49. Regarding the fund application from the TPSA to participate in the “20th New Territories Inter-District Badminton Tournament”, a Member said that he often received e-mails from members of the public, criticising the badminton team for operating behind closed doors and only allowing people with close acquaintances to participate in the League. He would like to know the screening system of the badminton team. 50. A Member suggested that the Secretariat send a letter to the TPSA to enquire into the matter and

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request it to respond in writing. 51. Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung agreed to the above suggestion. He reiterated that Members could submit questions to the Secretariat before the meeting and the Secretariat would get to know the situation from the applicant. 52. With the exception of Mr. YAM Man-chuen and Mr. LAU Yung-wai, the majority of Members did not raise any objection to this funding application. The ATRC resolved to allocate $5,780 to the TPSA for participating in the “20th New Territories Inter-District Badminton Tournament”. (Post-meeting note: The TPSA had already responded to the questions raised by Members (see Annex

IV).) 53. Concerning the fund application by the TPSA for participating in the “31st New Territories Inter-District Athletic Meet”, with the exception of Mr. YAM Man-chuen and Mr. LAU Yung-wai, the majority of the Members did not raise any objection to the application. The ATRC resolved to allocate $7,650 to the TPSA for participation in the said event. 54. Concerning the fund application by the TPSA for participating in the “2nd Tai Po Soccer Sevens Cup (2016-2017)”, Members’ comments were as follows:

(i) a Member said that an ordinary soccer ball cost about $200. He asked why the TPSA had applied for $300 to buy a soccer ball. He also asked how the TPSA would dispose of the purchased tents after the event.

(ii) a Member proposed to deduct the amount allocated to the purchase of soccer balls to $150 each.

(iii) a Member said that cheaper soccer balls were subject to damage more easily.

(iv) a Member proposed to reduce the amount allocated to the trophy to no more than the maximum funding limit for prizes.

55. The Secretary responded as follows:

(i) the TPSA would select soccer supplier from the lowest bidder of tender. The relevant expense would be reimbursed according to the actual amount spent. If Members had reservations about the allocation amount, they might consider a reduction.

(ii) tents were purchased to avoid inconvenience to the working staff caused by inclement weather. The cost of the tents would be paid by the TPSA.

56. After discussion, the ATRC decided to reduce the allocation for the purchase of soccer balls from $300 to $200 each. The total provision for the item was reduced from $3,000 to $2,000 while the

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provision for other items remained unchanged. The ATRC also resolved to allocate a total of $39,254 to the TPSA for organising the “2nd Tai Po Soccer Sevens Cup (2016-2017)” and waive the funding limit for the expense items marked in Appendix V to the paper. 57. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “District Recreational Programmes” under the ATRC in the 2016 -17 financial year. (II) Four fund applications submitted by the Tai Po District Arts Advancement Association 58. The ATRC resolved to:

(i) allocate $15,600 to the Association for organising “Tai Po Children’s Choir (III)”.

(ii) allocate $17,304 to the Association for organising “Integrated Dance Class (III)”.

(iii) allocate $37,712 to the Association for organising “Chinese Music Class (III)”. 59. Concerning the fund application for “Tai Po Cultural Night 2016”, a Member asked whether the recipients of “performing group subsidy” were different from the recipients of “performer’s drinks and refreshments subsidy”. 60. The Secretary responded that the performers who received the “performer’s drinks and refreshments subsidy” were participants of the Chinese Orchestra and the Dance Company, and they were different from the recipients of the “performing group subsidy”. The recipients of the two would not overlap. 61. The ATRC resolved to allocate $31,210 to the Association for organising the “Tai Po Cultural Night 2016”, and waive the funding limit for the expense items marked and in Appendix IX to the paper. 62. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “District Cultural and Arts Programmes” under the ATRC in the 2016 -17 financial year. (III) A fund application from the Sai Kung North Rural Committee 63. The ATRC resolved to allocate $45,000 to the Rural Committee for organising the “Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in Sai Kung North” and waive the funding limit for the expense items marked in Appendix X to the paper. 64. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “Mid-Autumn Festival” under ATRC in the 2016 -17 financial year.

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(IV) Four fund applications submitted by Working Group on Promotion and Publicity under the ATRC

65. Members had the following questions/comments:

(i) a Member enquired about the printing volume of the medium-size 2017 calendars of the TPDC.

(ii) a Member opined that for reason of environmental protection, the year or the zodiac pattern should not be printed on the red packets.

66. The Secretary responded that the Working Group had budgeted 12 700 medium-size calendars. 67. Mr. Eric TAM responded that the Working Group had resolved not to print the year or the zodiac pattern on the red packet to facilitate reuse. 68. The ATRC resolved to:

(i) allocate $60,000 to the Working Group for meeting the expenditure of the production of the 2017 medium-size Calendar of the TPDC.

(ii) allocate $40,000 to the Working Group for meeting the expenditure of the production of the 2017 large-size Calendar of the TPDC.

(iii) allocate $40,000 to the Working Group for meeting the expenditure of the production of the red packets of the TPDC.

(iv) allocate $30,000 to the Working Group for meeting the expenditure of the production of the pencil cases of the TPDC.

69. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “Promotion and Publicity Programmes” under the ATRC in the 2016 -17 financial year. (V) A fund application submitted by a local group to organise an activity jointly with the Working

Group on Promotion and Publicity under the ATRC 70. In response to the fund application by the “DIGiTAL EYE”, which had proposed to update the content of the “Tai Po Fun” mobile app and promote it jointly with the Working Group on Promotion and Publicity, Members’ comments were summarised as follows:

(i) a Member enquired about the details of the activity. He pointed out that the “Tai Po Fun” social website attracted only very few “likes”. Many of the restaurants in the mobile app did not have any photograph, and there was even a wrong address. He believed that

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resources should be allocated to update the information continuously. Otherwise, the mobile app should not be kept.

(ii) a Member enquired whether the contract for the development of the mobile app included the provision of update service. He asked whether the mobile app would only be updated next year.

(iii) a Member thought that it was necessary to monitor the operation of the mobile app more closely, otherwise, maintaining the app would only do more harm than good. He suggested the Working Group to take into account the usage volume of the mobile app in deciding whether or not to retain the app next year.

71. The Secretary responded as follows:

(i) the Working Group on Promotion and Publicity had for the first time earmarked $20,000 for a local group to work jointly with the Working Group to update and publicise “Tai Po Fun”. The local group was required to update information on the mobile app for the existing 300 odd hotspots and add new hotspots. It would promote the app through newspaper articles, its website and the “Tai Po Fun” social website.

(ii) the Working Group would decide on the frequency of updating the mobile app according to the amount of resources allocated. At present, the Working Group had only about $20,000 dollars of funding left. Members might consider giving the local group three months’ time to update the mobile app. If the results were satisfactory, Members could request for additional funding to update the mobile app regularly. However, information of the restaurants changed frequently and the Working Group would require substantial resources to update in time. Members should ponder over the necessity to increase the frequency of updates.

(iii) the contract for the development of the mobile app did not include any update service and so, the local group had to assist with the updating.

72. Mr. Eric TAM responded as follows:

(i) last year due to the temporary suspension of operation of DCs, DC Members were unable to follow up the operation of “Tai Po Fun”. In addition, there were no resources available for the update service at that time. Therefore, the information in the mobile app might be outdated. The Working Group hoped to make use of the funds allocated this year to invite a local group to help update the relevant information.

(ii) in the past, the Working Group seldom publicised “Tai Po Fun” through the media. The local group might write newspaper articles to promote “Tai Po Fun”.

(iii) the Working Group would further consider Members’ suggestion of regularly updating the mobile app.

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73. Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung responded that the frequency and mode of updating the mobile app would be decided by the Working Group and the Secretariat would only remind it about the availability of resources to carry out the work. He said that if the Working Group considered it necessary to increase its funding in the next financial year, it could make a request to the TPDC. 74. After discussion, the ATRC resolved to allocate $20,000 to the “DIGiTAL EYE” for updating the contents of the mobile app “Tai Po Fun” and promoting it jointly with the Working Group on Promotion and Publicity. 75. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “Tai Po District Travel Information Mobile App” under “Other Projects” under the ATRC in the 2016-17 financial year. (VI) 11 fund applications submitted by local groups 76. Members had the following questions:

(i) was this the first time the Optim Arts applied for DC funds?

(ii) was this the first time the Fei Sing CLUB applied for DC funds? When was it established? 77. The Secretary responded as follows:

(i) the Optim Arts had applied for DC funds in recent years to organise activities.

(ii) the Fei Sing CLUB was established in 2012. It had applied for DC funds in recent years to organise activities.

78. The ATRC resolved to:

(i) allocate $13,820 to the Optim Arts for organising “Sing and Dance Fun”.

(ii) allocate $3,600 to the Incorporate Owners of Wang Fuk Court for organising “Wang Fuk one-day fun trip”.

(iii) allocate $3,480 to the Residents Association of King Nga Court for organising jointly with the Incorporated Owners of King Nga Court “One Day Trip to Tung Chung and Tai O”.

(iv) allocate $26,460 to the Wan Tau Tong Federation of Community Activities for organising “Wan Tau Tong Family Fun Day 2016”.

(v) allocate $12,000 to the Salvation Army Tai Po Senior Citizen Services for organising “Singing with Kwan Sing 2016/2017”.

(vi) allocate $13,360 to the Fei Sing CLUB for organising “Sing and Dance Fun Tonight”.

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(vii) allocate $34,500 to the Lam Tsuen Valley Committee for organising jointly with Lions Club Lam Tsuen Youth Centre “Lam Tsuen Luk Wo Soccer Cup Tournament”.

(viii) allocate $24,380 to the Incorporated Owners of Tai Po Elegance Garden for organising “Mid-Autumn Carnival 2016”.

(ix) allocate $12,000 to the Him Wo Cantonese Opera Group for organising “Him Wo Cantonese Opera Appreciation with Friends”.

(x) allocate $12,000 to the Mutual Aid Committee of Tai Ling House Block A for organising “Golden Oldies for Senior Citizens 2016”.

79. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “Other Activities” under the ATRC in the 2016-17 financial year. 80. Regarding the fund application from the Hong Kong Literature Concern Group (“the Group”) for “Winter 2016 Literary Competition for Short Stories and Prize Award Ceremony”, the comments/questions of Members were summarised as follows:

(i) a Member asked whether it was the first time the Group applied for DC funds. He wished to know the background of the Group, the details of the activity souvenirs and participants’ souvenirs.

(ii) a Member said that the personal writings of three members of the Group (“the said members”) were bold and might not be endorsed by parents. They might also affect the reputation of the TPDC. He asked whether the Guideline had any basic requirements on the contents of the activities and whether the Secretariat had to review the proposals and pass preliminary vetting before submitting them to the ATRC for scrutiny.

(iii) regarding the fund application for “venue rental and air-conditioning fees”, a Member asked whether the Group could avoid renting the air-conditioning facilities of the venue. He was happy to see that literary competitions would be organised by district groups. He suggested that the story scripts be submitted by students. He opined that the writing styles of the said members would not necessarily affect the competition. As the amount of funds applied for was not much, he suggested learning the background of the judges first instead of killing off the opportunity for the Group to organise the activity right away.

(iv) a Member had reservations on the above fund application. He said that the Group was applying for DC funding for the first time and the ATRC should be cautious about accepting its application.

(v) a Member asked if the promotion website of the Group had any link with the personal websites of the said members. He suggested waiting until the Group had provided the relevant information before continuing to assess the fund application.

(vi) a Member was of the view that the current application of the Group should not be affected by the articles previously written by the said members. Schools might decide whether to

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participate in the competition at their own discretion. He suggested that Members should first understand the background of the judges and enquire the Group how it could confirm the script writers of the competition were secondary school students in Tai Po District.

(vii) a Member asked which schools had already agreed to post up the publicity materials of the competition and whether the organisations listed in the proposal had already been informed of the application. He said that the Group had publicised the competition via the internet and the number of participants should be over 40. He believed that there was a chance that the concept of values of the judges could influence the results of the competition. By sponsoring the said competition, it might imply that the TPDC endorsed the past writings of the said members. Members should be cautious when dealing with academic activities.

(viii) a Member enquired whether the Group had already rented a secondary school in the district for the prize award ceremony.

(ix) a Member said that he could not accept the articles written by the said members in the past. He said that although the competition would only allow participation by secondary school students, the said members’ role as judges might distort the students’ concept of values. Therefore, he strongly objected to this application.

(x) a Member believed this competition was controlled by the said members behind the scene. He objected to this application.

(xi) a Member said that the personal websites of the said members included different types of articles, not just pornographic ones. He opined that the ATRC should follow past practice and allowed the Group to answer queries raised by Members first instead of rejecting its application at once, depriving it of the right to apply for funding.

(xii) a Member pointed out that the issue at the moment was to reject the fund application but not to deprive the Group of the right to apply for funds. He remarked that the TPDC would conduct the voting process in meetings upon receipt of fund applications, and there was no time slot for a group applicant to offer explanations.

(xiii) a Member believed that the room for individual creativity should not be eliminated. He agreed to get more information from the Group first.

(xiv) a Member objected to this funding application. She pointed out that if the TPDC approved this application, all Members would become stakeholders of the competition. She remarked that the TPDC could not, under unknown circumstances, let unknown people go into schools to launch promotions. She was aware of schools organising this type of writing competitions. She queried should the TPDC refuse to sponsor this particular activity, would it mean that there would not be any chance to sponsor similar activities.

81. The Secretary responded as follows:

(i) the Group was registered and established in 2016. This was the first time it submitted fund application to the TPDC for organising an activity. The Group had organised

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literary competitions for secondary students in various districts. The said members of the Group would be judges in this competition. They had published books and details could be found in their personal websites.

(ii) each script writer participating in the competition would be given a bookmark as souvenir. The Group would print a booklet as souvenir too. The booklet would include five winning entries and model essays written by the judges and invitees. This booklet would be given out to secondary schools and other organisations.

(iii) a secondary school in the district had agreed to lease its lecture hall for the Group to hold the prize award ceremony. It had also given a list entailing rental and air-conditioning fees to the Group for reference. At present about 10 secondary schools in the district had already agreed to help promote this competition.

(iv) the Secretariat would enquire the Group about ways to confirm that participants of the competition would be secondary school students in Tai Po District. It would also ask the Group about the specific plans of the publicity programs.

(v) the Group anticipated 100 scripts would be received and 40 persons would attend the prize award ceremony.

82. Mr. LEUNG Siu-keung responded that the Group was qualified for non-governmental organisations (“NGOs”) in the Guideline and had been registered under the Societies Ordinance. He said that the nature of the activity was also in line with the funding scope of the TPDC. He explained that the Secretariat could not examine the contents of the activity on behalf of Members and so the application was referred to the ATRC for consideration. 83. The Chairman decided to ask the Group to provide more information, which would be circulated to Members to help them to assess the fund application. 84. A Member prompted that the Group should provide information for its application but not alter the relevant contents. (Post-meeting note: The Group noted the comments of Members and decided to cancel this fund

application.) (VII) Two applications for funding for activity jointly organised by Tai Po District Fire Safety

Commission and Tai Po District Office 85. The ATRC resolved to:

(i) allocate $96,000 to the Working Group on Publicity and Education for organising publicity and education activities.

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(ii) allocate $74,000 to the Working Group on Fire Safety for organising fire safety activities. 86. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “District Fire Safety Commission” under “Other Activities” in the 2016 -17financial year. (VIII) Two fund applications submitted by the local groups and the Working Group on Summer

Campaigns under the Tai Po District Youth Committee 87. The ATRC resolved to:

(i) allocate $40,000 to the Sai Kung North Rural Committee for organising jointly with the Working Group on Summer Campaigns “Summer Holidays 2016 Family Travel”.

(ii) allocate $30,000 to the Tai Po Rural Committee for organising jointly with the Working Group on Summer Campaigns “Watching ‘Glacier’ Movies in a ‘Hot Summer’”.

88. The Chairman reported that the expenditure of the aforesaid activities would be listed in “Regional Youth Activities Committee” under “Other Activities” in the financial year of 2016-17. (IX) One revision of activity for which the fund application had already been approved by the

ATRC 89. The Chairman reported that Wisenice Club had written to amend the venue of “Parenthood Carnival with Good Music” (from Tai Yuen Estate’s covered plaza to Fu Shin Plaza, Fu Shin Estate). He said that the total funding remained unchanged. 90. Members noted the above revision and expressed no other views. Case Discussion 91. The Chairman reported as follows:

(i) the number of participants of the hiking activities organised by two groups was over 25% less than the anticipated number. Group A explained that due to the hot weather and the serious mosquito problem in the countryside, the number of participants was less than anticipated. It remarked that next time it would organise hiking activities in spring or autumn, and search for suitable destinations to raise the participation rate. The Christmas activity in 2006 organised by Group A had over 25% less participants than anticipated. At that time, the TPDC decided to reimburse the amount of money concerned.

(ii) according to Group B, hiking activities in the past could fill up four to six coaches.

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However, this time, during the latter part of the ticket sales period, the HK Observatory forecasted unstable weather on the activity day, thereby affecting ticket sales.

(iii) in accordance with paragraph 19.6 of the Guideline, regarding travel activities, reimbursement had to be effected according to the number of people actually participated in an activity, pursuant to sub-paragraph 9(e) thereof. If the number of people actually participating in the travel activity is 25% less than the anticipated number and the applicant had no reasonable explanation, the TPDC would deduct 10% of the reimbursement amount approved.

(iv) the above regulation was effective from 1 April 2016. Although the two Groups submitted their application forms before 1 April 2016, their applications were approved after 1 April 2016. Both Groups were aware of the above requirement then.

92. The ATRC resolved to deduct 10% of the reimbursement amount approved as a warning to the organiser.

VII. Other business 93. Members did not raise any other matter for discussion.

VIII. Date of next meeting 94. The next meeting would be held at 9:30 a.m. on 9 September 2016 (Friday). 95. There being no other business, the meeting ended at 1:24 p.m.

Tai Po District Council Secretariat September 2016