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accepted. In view, however, of your renewed interest in this matter, your inquiry will be placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the Policy Select Committee of which you are not now a member but at which your attendance will be most welcome.
MR. BERNACCHI-May I ask a supplementary, Mr. Chairman? Would the Commissioner state whether proprietors of factories of more than 2,000 square feet are allowed to elect to take a smaller factory in the resettlement area or are they completely debarred?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT: I cannot answer that question at the moment. It can be added to the agenda for the next meeting of the Select Committee.
MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
"(a) Will the Chairman please confirm that the Housing Division is part of the Urban Services Department purely out of administrative convenience and has no direct connexion with the Urban Council?
(b) Since the completion of the Special Committee on Housing Report, Government has been giving consideration for nearly three years to the establishment of a Housing Department; in view of the lag in Government's resettlement and low-cost housing programme, is the Chairman in a position to state whether or not Government has now made up its mind to establish a Housing Department?
(c) Would the Chairman also please advise whether it would be the responsibility of the Housing Division of the Urban Services Department to analyse the statistics in regard to housing which will be made available by the Census Department; or would it be the responsibility of the proposed Housing Department?”
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:
"With regard to the first part of the question, I confirm that the Housing Division was attached to the Urban Services Department purely as a matter of administrative convenience.
With regard to the second part of the question, the establishment of a separate Housing Department was recommended in the Final Report of the Special Committee on Housing, tabled in Legislative Council on 18th December, 1958.
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In a press release published on 20th October, 1959, Government made known its decisions on this and other recommendations in the Report. The recommendation in question was not acceptable at that time, and, as far as I am aware, that decision still stands. I should add, however, that in the Budget debate in Legislative Council, the Colonial Secretary agreed on 29th March this year to look into a suggestion that the Housing Authority should assume responsibility for managing resettlement estates. This is being done.
With regard to the third part of the question, the statistics relating to housing will be examined by the Commissioner for Housing when they are available."
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Does the Chairman know why the recommendation in question was not accepted at that time which was three years ago?
CHAIRMAN:-I have no personal knowledge of that.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-May I ask another supplementary? This recommendation was made three years ago. There have been quite a number of changes since then in our resettlement and low cost housing position and in view of the quite obvious lag in our resettlement and low cost housing programme, would the Chairman agree to convey to Government a suggestion that it is time that this whole matter be reviewed, with a view to establishing this Housing Department as suggested?
CHAIRMAN:-In your speech, Sir, at the last meeting of this Council, you made certain proposals concerning the possibility of reorganizing the Housing Authority and setting up a separate Housing Department. These views have been conveyed to Government. I think that that answers your question.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-There has been no decision yet, Sir?
MR. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
"Some time ago it was proposed that there should be a Liaison Officer from the Fire Brigade to advise the Urban Council on Fire Brigade requirements concerning hawker problems and other matters, to reduce red tape, and generally to expedite the work of this Council:
(a) Has the Chairman received any definite word from the Fire Brigade concerning the appointment of such a Liaison Officer?
(b) If not, will the Chairman please take this matter up with the Fire Brigade as a matter of urgency?"
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