THE Jockey Club's allocation of funds for charity and community projects is calculated with close consultation with the Government, according to chief executive Major-General Guy Watkins. Money that the club sets aside for charity and community purposes is mainly divided into three parts - requests made to the club directly by voluntary agencies, the Governor's shopping list which outlines small and medium-sized projects the Government proposes to the club, and massive projects such as Ocean Park or the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. General Watkins stressed that the existing arrangements gave flexibility in funding charity and community plans. 'We do respond directly to Government requests,' he said. Steward John Chan Cho-chak said: 'For any big project we fund, it is certain that it is a Government project. The club will not spend big money on things that the Government does not agree to.' 'Normally, the system works in such a way that when the Government asks if we can finance a certain project, we then look at it on its own merits. My experience is that there is never any big project raised by the club itself unless it relates to the club's own development such as the redevelopment of the Happy Valley racecourse,' he said. General Watkins said that traditionally he met the Chief Secretary once every six months simply to ask what plans the Government might have in mind so that the club could plan ahead. 'If the Government needs money for something special and important, we need to set aside the money. We want to cut the cake in the way that's best for Hong Kong,' he said. But his closest contact points in the Government were the Secretary for Health and Welfare and the Secretary for Recreation and Culture. Even on projects proposed to the club directly from voluntary agencies, General Watkins said that the Government would also be consulted. He said when the Pok Oi Hospital approached the club for help to build a care and attention centre, the club asked the Government for information about such things as staffing considerations and homes of similar kind in the area the hospital proposed to build. 'We don't want to fund anything that is not able to be sustained and we do consult with the Government,' he said. General Watkins said for major requests from the Government, the club had never turned them down but on some very small requests, the club might occasionally have said no. 'We spend a lot of time on charity matters, we take our responsibility very seriously. Generally speaking, in this area the club does a good job and a very valuable job to Hong Kong,' he said. 'We don't act arbitrarily. We do work closely with the Government and the agencies involved. We do try very hard to provide the best answer,' he added. General Watkins said the 12 stewards sitting on the board were men with a strong interest in Hong Kong and were not politically biased.
