UNCLASSIFIED.
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 07103OZ FCO
TELNO 466
OF 07102OZ FEBRUARY 90
SONANCE ADVANCE COPI
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
114042 MDADAN 4576
YOUR TELNO 305 : PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION KWUN TONG:
THE DRAFT REPLY IS AS FOLLOWS
CONDITION AND HOUSING IN
1. 'AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME TO RENEW THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT, OVER 58,000 OLD PUBLIC HOUSING FLATS WILL BE DEMOLISHED, AND ABOUT 55,000 NEW PLATS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1990 ANDS 2001 IN THE KWUNG TONG AREA, PARTLY TO PROVIDE REPLACEMENT ACCOMMODATION AND PARTLY TO PROVIDE NEW HOUSING FOR THOSE IN NEED.
2. PLANNED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE THE CLOSURE OF A LOCAL REFUSE DUMP, RESTRICTIONS ON THE SULPHUR CONTENT OF INDUSTRIAL FUEL OIL, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF VEHICLE EMISSION CONTROLS.'
BACKGROUND
A. ENVIRONMENT
(A) THE REFUSE DUMP WILL BE CLOSED LATER THIS YEAR, AFTER A NEW REFUSE TRANSFER STATION IS COMMISSIONED IN MAY.
(B) THE SULPHUR DIOXIDE PROBLEM IS CONSIDERABLE IN KWUN TONG. REGULATIONS WERE GAZETTED ON 25.1.90 TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF INDUSTRIAL FUEL OIL WITH A SULPHUR CONTENT GREATER THAN 0.5 PERCENT BY WEIGHT. THE TARGET DATE FOR EFFECTING THESE REGULATIONS IS
1.7.90.
(C) MEASURES TO REDUCE VEHICLE EMISSIONS, INCLUDING STRICTER CONTROLS OVER SMOKY VEHICLES, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF UNLEADED PETROL WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, TOGETHER WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF MORE STRIGENT EMISSION CONTROLS OVER VEHICLES IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG.
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