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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
will call for immediate consideration in the adjustment of rental. I wish to point out the present system of $5 a point applicable to the Yaumati market may not be feasible for other markets, particularly those in the outlying districts. The open oral bidding for the market stalls may be replaced by enclosed tender forms which would eliminate the danger of overbidding. All in all, I consider that an early revision and application of a practicable system to reduce the market rental is most desirable.
Mr. Chairman, I am sure you will agree with me that the cost of living must be brought down to a realistic level.
In the midst of our prosperity in the rapid development of houses, we find a peculiar circumstance that many of our citizens are facing the most urgent need of finding a suitable place at reasonable rental. The resettlement programme itself is an achievement of great magnitude, but there still leaves much room for improvement, such as a speed-up of our gigantic resettlement programme, and let us see no more of these squatters who have been living on the pavements for years and squatter huts are still faced with fire hazards. The Hong Kong Housing Authority also has a very lavish programme but I do feel that the people in the lower income groups, such as our teachers as well as any other white-collar workers with a salary under $300 a month, are our citizens, who are entitled also to share our prosperity in this community. More attention to these classes of people should be brought into our consideration. Moreover, the qualifications for admitting tenants should be closely reviewed, particularly in regard to rental, space, allocation for different sizes of families which should be more realistic towards our common need. If these undesirable conditions were allowed to prevail, I feel that many of our flats will remain vacant, and this I must say is a very peculiar circumstance in view of the many families living in overcrowded tenements. Is it deplorable, Mr. Chairman, that we have the estates already for leasing, yet leaving a large part vacant. Is it true that they do not want these flats? It is not so, I believe. It is the strict requirements which are so difficult to comply with, that they rather turn down our offers. For this reason, may I suggest that we should relax the requirements for the applicants to be admitted to the estates.
With these few points mentioned above, Mr. Chairman, have much pleasure in supporting your motion. (Applause).
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MR. Y. K. KAN:-Mr. Chairman, although the matter upon which I am about to speak is not mentioned in your Statement of Progress and Policy, I think it is a sufficiently important subject to merit the attention of this Council. I refer to the existing Basements Policy which was laid down by the Council in August 1956.
The aim of that policy, I am told, was to regularize a state of affairs then subsisting, namely, the illegal occupation of basements, having regard to the acute housing shortage then prevailing in the Colony.
Under this policy the Council issues two types of permits, namely, standard permits for habitation and for non-habitation, i.e. shops, workshops, etc. and sub-standard permits for both purposes. In respect of the standard permits very stringent conditions are attached some of which, e.g. provision of efficient ventilation by means of air-conditioning apparatus etc., involve considerable expenditure, whereas only the very minimum requirements as regards lighting and ventilation are imposed in respect of the sub-standard permits. One of such requirements or conditions is that, and I quote, "shall not commit a nuisance by cooking, obstructing or washing on the public footpath or lane, or by throwing waste or filthy matter thereon." The breach of this condition, it is said, will render the permit being cancelled without notice.
The only disadvantage of a sub-standard permit as contrasted with a standard permit is that the sub-standard permit is liable to cancellation upon six months' notice given by the Council whereas the standard permit is more or less of a permanent nature.
The Policy further restricts the issuance of both types of permits only to buildings which were erected prior to the new Buildings Ordinance 1955, consequently it applies to the overwhelming majority of buildings in the Island of Hong Kong and Kowloon.
I have no actual statistics as to how many standard permits and sub-standard permits have been issued since this Policy was laid down but from my experience during the past 12 months as a member of the Basements and Cubicles Select Committee, I can safely say that very few, if any, standard permits have been issued and applied for whereas the Council has issued hundreds of sub-
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