The Urban Council is to hive off two of its three performing companies, the Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (HKRT) and the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra (HKCO). Or is it? Such a decision was made by the council in early 1989, but the Urban Services Department claims the plan has been shelved even though it cannot produce a document to support this.
Incumbent councillors are puzzled and officials in the Urban Services Department appear to be equally baffled. Based on a decision by members of the performing companies sub-committee, culture select committee, finance select committee and administration select committee of the council in March 1989, they had agreed in principle to the department's proposal to hive off HKRT in 1992-93 and the HKCO in 1993-94. But to date, nothing has happened.
Ada Wong Ying-kay, incumbent member of the performing companies sub-committee, said: 'The department told us that they vaguely remembered that councillors had discussed shelving the plan, but when we asked whether there are any minutes or a paper confirming it, the officials said they couldn't find any written document.' Noting that the plan was shelved in around 1991, Assistant Director of Urban Services Tony Ma Kai-loong said: 'From the records that I've seen, it seems that at the time, members looked into the subject and concluded that the timing was unsuitable for taking the move, so they shelved it.' Sub-committee chairman Daniel Wong Kwok-tung, who also served on the sub-committee during the last term, said he couldn't recall any detailed discussion on the subject in the last few years.
Many people would believe it unthinkable for such confusion over a matter that involves taxpayer's money.
This is not a subject on which members could casually reverse their position without good reason. Nor is it something that you can just change without going through proper procedures.
It is a decision that affects the well-being of those serving the performing companies. And as the budget for the groups is drawn from the Government's rates revenue, it also involves the question of whether public money is being properly spent.