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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. Y. K. KAN asked the following question:
"As a result of the closure of Nos. 1 to 19, Pitt Street, Yau Ma Tei, after the torrential rain, I am informed that some 80 families were forcibly evacuated from the premises and are now living on the pavements in the nearby streets. What steps, if any, have been taken by the Resettlement Department to resettle these families either permanently or at least temporarily, and if not, can something be done for these unfortunate people?"
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
"The families concerned have been allocated sites for temporary huts by the Resettlement Department."
MR. Y. K. KAN:- A supplementary question. Where are these sites located?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- They are at Hak Po Street and Portland Street.
MR. Y. K. KAN:- Are they not in the middle of the road?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I don't know whether they are in the middle of the road or not.
MR. Y. K. KAN:- I am informed that in fact all that has been done is to draw a number of squares in the middle of the road.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I am afraid we have no details.
MR. Y. K. KAN:- Are communal facilities provided for these people?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- They normally are. They are, yes.
MR. Y. K. KAN:- Having regard to the fact that New Territories farmers seem to be quite properly compensated in the sum of $3 million for the loss of their crops, are you satisfied that steps have been taken sufficiently to help the plight of these people?
CHAIRMAN: I am afraid I cannot answer that, Mr. Kan.
MR. A. DE O. SALES asked the following question:
(5) Mr. A. de O. Sales to ask the Chairman, Urban Council:
"(a) To what extent will the Resettlement Department assume responsibility for the clearance of squatters from our main roads and streets?
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(b) Will they be eligible for eventual resettlement? (c) Why is a distinction generally made between the refugee squatters and the poor local families who are also in dire need of resettlement through circumstances not of their own making such as fire, house collapse, etc.?"
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
"Squatters living in the streets are considered eligible for resettlement. They are, however, given low priority and they are only cleared and resettled when this will not interfere with the Department's first priority of clearing land required for development. During the year ending 31st March, 1959, 4,530 squatters were cleared from the streets and resettled.
A distinction was formerly made between squatters and residents of tenements who were made homeless by fire or collapse, and the Resettlement Department was responsible only for the former. It has, however, recently been decided that this distinction should no longer be maintained, and both categories of persons are now dealt with alike by the Department."
MR. SALES--Supplementary questions, Mr. Chairman. Am I in order?
CHAIRMAN:- If they arise properly out of the question.
MR. SALES-I thank you for your interpretation of Standing Orders. I must commend the Commissioner for Resettlement for the precise nature of his reply to my question. At the annual debate in May his answer was not so definite as it is today. The resettlement of the people who have been deprived of housing through fire and house collapses: up to what year has the department reached in housing them?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I am not quite sure what the purpose of that question is. It has only been a recent decision that residents of tenements are dealt with in this way.
MR. SALES-How far can we reach back in order to re-house these people? Some of them are accommodated on main roads and streets.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- I don't quite follow you.
MR. SALES: How rapid has been your programme for development in this direction? How many people from the streets, how many fire victims have you resettled?
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