SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. SEP- 24th 73
MP to make intensive study
of Kuk complaints
A visiting Labour Member of Parliament, Mr Bob Parry, vowed that he would study "intensively" the two major complaints made to him by Heung Yee Kuk members last week.
Mr Parry attended a Kuk meeting last Tuesday to listen to complaints about the Government's land compensation policy and transport problems in isolated villages in the New Territories.
The MP is on a private visit to Hongkong. He was invited here by Kuk members when they visited England earlier this year.
Mr Parry said he would study the problems closely and might help Kuk members to channel their grievances to the British Government as well as to the local authorities.
"I have talked informally with the New Territories District Commissioner, Mr D.C. Bray, on these two major complaints and he promised to study the case." Mr Parry said.
Mr Parry said: "There is much work remaining to be done to eliminate the grievances particularly in respect of the land policy in the New Territories.
"I fully appreciate the difficulties facing the Government. But I also understand the feelings of frustration of the Heung Yee Kuk.
"I personally feel that long delays in dealing with the problems is a result of the failure to compromise by extremists in both parties."
Talking of the transport problems of many isolated villages, Mr Parry said agreement had been reached on a local level that villagers should buy lorries to convey their produce - as well as the villagers themselves – to the towns.
MR BOB PARRY
But the Government has refused to permit the lorries to act as dual-purpose vehicles.
"I suggest the Hongkong Government should give urgent consideration to this transport problem," he said.
Mr Parry also supported the view that police salaries should be increased to attract a better type of recruit.
"I feel strongly that public servants should receive remuneration relative to their responsibility," he said.
When asked how effective were MPs in channelling Hongkong grievances to the British Government Mr Parry admitted there were some MPs who came to
i
Hongkong for a brief visit and made a number of promises, and that was as far as the matter went.
The Vice-Chairman of the Heung Yec Kuk, Mr Chan Pak-yip, also doubted the effectiveness of channelling grievances to the British Government through MPs.
"Most of them only give a ‘politician's promise' from which little materialises.”
However, he expressed confidence that Mr Parry would help solve the Kuk's problems.
Mr Parry said there were three channels by which grievances could be communicated:
Bring the problem up in Parliament
if the problem justified the action.
● Write a petition to the Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Have private meetings and discussions with the appropriate Government officials in England.
Mr Parry is an "old hand" on Chinese affairs. He is MP for Liverpool Exchange where the Chinese community - mostly from the New Territories forms the second largest alien population group in England.
He has also been a member of the Liverpool City Council for the past 11 years.
Mr Parry is so closely connected with the city's Chinese community that he was invited to officiate at the opening of the Hongkong Government Office in Liverpool recently.
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