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Standing up for Mega Events Fund
I refer to your editorial ('Events fund needs more transparency', June 8). 
Since its inception in May 2009, the Mega Events Fund  has been widely known in the arts, cultural and sports sectors. In the past two years, the secretariat of the fund received  more than 150 inquiries about the fund and subsequently almost 70 applications were submitted to us.  Thirteen applications were approved in the first four rounds and we expect several more in the current  round. 
As rightly pointed out in your article ('HK$8m injection lifts Hong Kong Open', May 29), the  fund provides the necessary support to enhance the profile of many big  arts, cultural and sports events which could boost events tourism and further enhance Hong Kong's reputation as the events capital of Asia.
 The government attaches great importance to  transparency in  the use of public funds, and the  Mega Events Fund is no exception. All the procedures and guidelines relating to the fund as well as the assessment criteria have been clearly posted on the  fund's website  (http://www.tourism.gov.hk/english/ mef/mef.html). 
In addition, the Legislative Council has  monitored the fund's progress since approving  its establishment  in 2009. 
The Independent Commission Against Corruption has  provided valuable advice on how we could ensure fairness in the assessment mechanism. We have also arranged briefings for interested parties to have a better understanding of the  fund so  they could have more information to decide whether to apply or not.
 As a matter of fact, the fund's secretariat has never received any application from the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, so there is no issue of failure 'in a bid for government cash to help stage last year's Bledisloe Cup'.  At the beginning of each application round,  we issue a press release to the public and an invitation  to each and every national sports association  and major arts body/arts festival, including the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union. 
Whether these bodies wish to apply and which event they want to put forward is entirely up to them.
It is also worth noting that we have stated clearly in the guidelines  various aspects which an applicant should take note of. 
For instance, the  fund will not support events which are already financially self-sufficient unless the applicant can fully justify that the  money from the fund will be used to enlarge the scale of the event or significantly raise its international profile. This is to ensure the proper use of public funds to support those deserving events by eligible bodies which need the fund most.
In the past two years, the Mega Events Fund Assessment Committee has carried out  its duties in a fair manner and acted strictly in accordance to the published criteria laid down since day one.  
Its selfless contribution is most invaluable and the government has been giving the fullest respect to  its recommendations.
Vincent Fung, for commissioner  for tourism      
Tax plan good news for green cars
I support the government's proposal to increase first-registration- tax concessions for green cars.
The administration is now focusing more on environmental protection and this is illustrated by this new policy. 
It can encourage more people to purchase environmentally friendly vehicles. It will offer car buyers greater choice. 
They will not need to find additional funds to make their purchase and at the same time can be seen as acting in a socially responsible manner. It will also help green groups in their efforts to get across their message about the importance of environmental protection, not just in Hong Kong but also globally.
Such a policy can also raise Hong Kong citizens' awareness of the importance of environmental issues and help them realise that we face serious problems. Also, if a lot more people buy these cars we could see a drop in levels of air pollution.
Of course, there is still more the government can do. Education is the key to making people more environmentally aware and so there is a need to have more lessons in our schools which focus on green issues.
We have to strike  a balance between technological development and saving the environment.
Gigi So Tsz-kiu, Kowloon Bay
NETS make significant contribution
 I am a reasonably bilingual native English-speaking teacher (NET)  who can communicate fairly comfortably in Cantonese.  
On my first day in my present school the principal  forbade me to speak Cantonese in front of the students, and although this has caused me the occasional moment of frustration I have to say he was absolutely right. 
One of the key benefits of employing a NET is that he/she forces  students to use English, and if the students knew that I could understand Cantonese they would speak it to me most of the time. Professor Andy Kirkpatrick needs to get out more and find out what it's like teaching in the real world.
Robert Warren, Tseung Kwan O
Drawbacks to new diploma
Some pupils say the new Diploma of Secondary Education is better than the old system.  I agree with those who argue that to have more choices is better than having  no choice.
However, I want to focus on class sizes.  How can the learning of English and Chinese language with a class of 40 students  be effective with one teacher if all the resources are allocated to different elective subjects? 
That is to say eight to 10 students in the Chinese history classroom, six to eight students in a visual arts classroom and six  in the computer room. 
Schools should have a fair policy  regarding teachers' workloads and give more support and help to language teachers.
 Teaching a language involves the teaching of reading, writing, listening and speaking.  With a better language policy, students will be empowered to express themselves freely in liberal studies, Chinese and English oral exams and write better essays.
Sumika Chan, Sai Kung
Spoon-fed habits are hard to break
It is ironic though predictable that Fung Wai-wah, chairman of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union, says, in response to finding out that many liberal studies teachers find torture acceptable, that it was 'indisputable that torture should not be used during interrogation' ('Torture 'acceptable' to many teachers', June 9).  'We should find out why there is such a belief among teachers,' he says.
 It was my understanding that one of the main purposes of introducing the liberal studies curriculum was to teach the students how to think, as opposed to the historically spoon-fed nature of Hong Kong's education. 
To the teachers who believe that torture is justifiable, it is obviously not 'indisputable' that torture should not be used. (Incidentally, I believe it should not.) 
However, despite the deliberate attempts to avoid a set syllabus and model answers, it seems that some teachers have already erred by not sticking to what some people obviously believe should be the 'model answers'.
 Surely it is of better worth for students (and remember we are talking upper secondary here) to be wrestling with these moral and ethical issues and discovering how and why we believe what we do, than to be told what to think about these issues.
Karl Udy, Tai Po  
Controversy can be easily avoided
 We now have the controversy over illegal construction, we have a planned third runway, various harbour reclamation projects going on and, again in all cases, the general public is left out.
The problem, it seems to me, is that Hong Kong has a 'do first, ask later' mindset. The government has it (first start building the bridge to Macau, then ask whether it is environmentally OK), developers have it (first dump waste in nature reserves, then ask whether they can build on top of it), and many homeowners have it (first build a roof-top canopy, then ask to be allowed to keep it). This mindset is deeply ingrained in our government's policies. 
A few years ago, I inquired about the need of environmental licences regarding water and air pollution, and basically the response was 'as long as you do not cause pollution over the limit, you don't need any licence'.
First do, then ask if it is  OK. Or simply forget about that second step. Having to make sure you have the correct licences before commencing any works is of course cumbersome. However, it would have prevented many of the recent controversies we have experienced in Hong Kong.
Wouter van Marle, Tai Po




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