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memorandum should take into account the public presentational aspects of the grant to the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, if established, of the four sites to be granted.
The property development proposals of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation have already become a matter of public discussion, and little would be gained by the issue of any formal press statement at this stage, particularly because the Government has yet to decide whether to proceed with the Mass Transit Railway or not. Honourable Members will be considering in the near future a further compre- hensive memorandum seeking a decision on the Mass Transit Railway as a whole, in which the question of publicity, including reference to the property development proposals, will be comprehensively discussed. In the meantime, the Information Services Department will, if asked questions, reply to them on the following lines:
(a) Although pending a decision on the grant of rights to
develop the MTR station and workshop sites com- prehensively, it has been necessary to ensure that the sub-structures are so designed as to make separate development possible, separate development could produce complications both during construction and ultimately in the division of responsibilities for structures. Separate development would also necessitate involving the developer concerned as early as possible so that his consultants could work in co-operation with the MTRC, and thereby avoid delays in the railway construction programme. It makes sense, therefore, that the MTR facilities and the buildings over them should be constructed as one project by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation.
(b) This being so, the practical considerations are
reinforced by the opportunity which the development would provide to ensure that, even in unforeseen circumstances, in the future the Mass Transit Railway will not become a burden on general revenue; it will also assist the railway by providing extra revenue to maintain a conservative fares policy.
(c) However, it is not intended that this right should be
granted at a cost to general revenue, as the Corpora- tion will be required to pay, one way or another, the full market value of the sites granted.
C.S. 166
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