on every such assignment. As soon as the assignments have been com- pleted and registered, the Land Officer will arrange for the Crown rent and, where appropriate, the premium to be apportioned under the Crown Rent and Premium (Apportionment) Ordinance. Thereafter each of the co-owners will be liable to the Crown only for the amounts apportioned on his share or shares. During the year, 106 new Crown leases were granted to The Colonial Treasurer Incorporated under this new procedure.
46. In connection with all Conditions of Sale, Regrant, Exchange, etc., close liaison is maintained with the Colonial Secretariat and the Crown Lands and Survey Office, and as far as possible all major questions arising in the course of scrutiny are discussed and decided at weekly meetings of the Director of Lands and Survey, the Principal Assistant Colonial Secretary (Lands) and the Assistant Registrar General in charge of the Land Office. After the terms have been agreed, the Land Office is responsible for settling the Conditions and having them duly executed, registered and issued.
47. The New Territories Section of the Registrar General's Depart- ment, described in paragraph 51, scrutinized and commented on 301 draft Conditions of Sale etc. relating to New Territories lots.
Sale of Flats in Uncompleted Buildings
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48. The Conditions of Sale of new lots and Exclusion Orders made under the Landlord and Tenant Ordinance after 20th December 1961 contain clauses prohibiting the owners from entering into agreements for the sale of units in uncompleted buildings without the prior consent of the Registrar General (Land Officer) and then only in conformity with any conditions imposed by him. During the year, 160 applications for such consent were received, and 131, including some received in 1971-72, were approved on certain conditions. These figures were down 98 and 68 respectively as compared with the previous year's figures. 57 applications were withdrawn and 20 were pending at the end of the year.
Modification of Lease Covenants
49. Before the war many lots were sold with height and other restrictions which are, under the changed conditions of modern Hong Kong, no longer considered necessary. There are therefore many cases in which Government is prepared to grant modifications of the original restrictions on terms usually including the payment of an additional
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