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Walled City
[LORDS ]
[Lord Goronwy-Roberts.] enclave. There are now plans to sort out and improve this inadequate and. indeed, hazardous electricity situation. Fire risk, because of the maze-like layout of the Walled City is, of course, very high. Among the essential services, it is difficult to allot priorities to water and drainage, linked as they are to sanitation, and electricity and fire risk. These reforms must go forward together. In 1973, the Hong Kong Government started to clear the sensitive areas on the fringe of the Walled City, and legislation regard- ing the storing of dangerous goods is also in force. I understand that this is effective.
I think, however, that the point made by both the noble Lord and the noble Earl about housing is probably the key to a real improvement. This is a problem of density, as my noble friend emphasised from the start and, indeed, pinpointed in the phrasing of his Question. It is a problem of housing, the density of housing, and the poor quality of con- struction in the Walled City. These are matters for grave concern and the ideal solution. I suppose, would be to tear the lot down and start again. But apart from the political problem, to which both my noble friends referred with responsibility and care, which I very much appreciate. of avoiding invoking reactions which might in the event create situations worse. even than those we have heard described so precisely tonight, there is the prac- tical question of rehousing, of giving priority to this particular enclave ahead of the rest of the Colony, of indeed getting general acquiescence to such a priorised programme.
I very much liked something my noble friend said on this point. He finally very reluctantly, rejected it, as a solution, but I think on reflection he, like myself, may find in something like the following a constructive approach to a gradual solu. tion; namely, that the Hong Kong Gov- ernment should go ahead as expeditiously as ever possible with its massive pro- gramme of house building--that is, a programme for building enough houses to rehouse 18 million people out of a total population of over 4 million. It is a programme to rehouse over 10 years almost half the population of the Colony, Already a substantial part of this new
of Kowloon
housing is being located on i of the Walled City,
he
474
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city of de friend quite sure ould have
I understand my noble fri tions about whether this in fr to be a solution. I think bute substantially by attra side the Walled City-- dreadful night ", as my referred to it, and as I am Francis Thompson himself done if he had seen Hong K incicas- ing numbers, especially annst the young, from this morass of disen into these new flats and h
d danger so that the density in the Walled is gradu- ally diluted as the new stand des become known to those still remaining, still pre- ferring to remain, in the Walled City. This is the best kind of reform the reform over a period on the basic *perience and ace plance, although i 3 always tempting in situations like dès la go for the revolutionary change the
the instan- Tancous stroke. I hope that we can all look at this problem as on which may possibly begin to be solved the basis of this massive housing propṛsame and its location.
f
nts. He tty are one-
I think that my noble fe and will be glad to know the position said that rents in the Walled third below those in the 10: - Kowloon, I understand that it is not fr in relation to Government housing, the rents for which 110 well below Perale rents in the Walled City. The ans is, there- fore, mote Government houane, which we may be sure will certainly 4 some albac- tive to many families in the Walled City, and even more economical them.
tackle it. The second Lords who
So much for the enormous physical problem and the efforts mad But I must briefly touch ee question, to which both nebl spoke, quite properly, di These ellorts are constant) hibited indeed, by a politic
attention. dflected, in-
ituation of
a unique character, with its mots in the past and its implications fa present and the future, that we simpl. must care- fully take into account. A teid pre- viously, we must be very esseful indeed that we do not, in our genuine desire to improve the situation within the Walled City, so move as to evoke ne jons which create new and increasingly difficult situations. perhaps less tritable, more dangerous than the one we a’" considering tonight.