Question No. 5
Reply by Hon. Y.L. PANG, ISO, JP, Acting Secretary for Housing to a question by Dr. the Hon Conrad Lam,
in Legislative Council on 6 November 1985
QUESTION: With regard to the illegal use of water and
electricity in certain squatter areas, will the Government inform this Council what plans it has to improve the situation?
Sir,
The problem of illegal tapping of water supply in
squatter areas exists mainly where standpipe water supply is
available. The obvious solution to this problem is
therefore the provision of a metered connection. To this
end, Water Supplies Department's current programme to
provide metered supply to 740 squatter areas and NT villages
is scheduled to be completed in about 3 years' time. In
parallel to this, under the Squatter Areas Improvement
Programme, Housing Department is at present carrying out 11
similar projects in squatter areas, with a further 45
projects planned over the next three years. With the
completion of all these projects, the majority of the
squatter areas in the territory will have a metered supply,
and we are confident that the problem of illegal tapping of
water would no longer arise.