WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1975
NTA-KUK MONTHLY MEETING ******
SUBJECTS RANGING FROM LAND AND HOUSING PROBLEMS TO CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS WERE DISCUSSED AT TODAY'S MONTHLY MEETING BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK AND THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. DAVID AKERS-JONES.
SPEAKING ABOUT THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF LAND EXCHANGE THE KUK'S CHAIRMAN, MR. CHAN YAT-SUN, SAID THAT THERE WAS NEVER SUFFICIENT LAND AVAILABLE FOR EXCHANGE. AS A RESULT, HE ADDED, DEBTS OWED TO THE VILLAGERS REMAINED INDEFINITELY UNPAID WHILE MORE AND MORE LAND WAS RESUMED.
MR. AKERS-JONES REPLIED THAT HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD THEIR CONCERN AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION,
HE POINTED OUT THAT WORK WAS IN HAND TO DEVELOP MORE LAND FOR EXCHANGE PURPOSES. BUT IT WOULD TAKE TIME.
ON THE SUBJECT OF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS, MR. CHAN REITERATED THE ADVANTAGES OF SETTING UP A NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL WHICH WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE DIRECTLY. TO THE GOVERNOR.
DESCRIBING IT AS THE ONLY POSSIBLE SOLUTION IN BRINGING TO THE PEOPLE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES A FAIR SOCIETY, HE SAID IT WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN ANY WAY WITH THE EXISTING LAWS AND POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT.,
ANOTHER MEMBER, MR. CHAN PO-FONG SAID THE IDEA WAS TO GIVE THE SECRETARY, WHO WOULD BE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL, MORE POWER TO HANDLE AFFAIRS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
IN REPLY, MR. AKERS-JONES REFERRED MEMBERS TO THE LETTER SENT TO THE KUK BY THE COLONIAL SECRETARY IN MAY THIS YEAR ON BEHALF OF LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS, UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, IN WHICH IT WAS STATED THAT +A UNIFIED ADMINISTRATION IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN IN THE PAST.+
HOWEVER, THE SECRETARY SAID HE FOUND THE REVISED PROPOSALS INTERESTING AND PROMISED TO LOOK INTO THEM.
THE PRESENT STATE OF LAW AND ORDER IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS ALSO DISCUSSED AT THE MEETING.
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