HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As regards the demolition of his hut, an officer of the Squatter Control Division of the Resettlement Department discovered a new hut under construction and not yet occupied. In accordance with his standing instructions, he took immediate action to demolish it. He was approached by a girl who said that the hut was being built for someone who had just been discharged from hospital, but he had no authority to postpone demolition on that account, nor could I accept such a statement as a valid excuse for inaction or delay. On no occasion did the man's family or anyone else make any approach to the Resettlement Department to explain the circumstances of the case or to apply for compassionate resettlement on their behalf.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask if in the investigation for compassionate resettlement, it would not be normal in the case of a sick person in hospital to inquire what is the sickness and what is the likelihood of a sick person returning home at some time, in order to influence whether or not the case deserves resettlement?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:- I certainly can answer that, Mr. Chairman. I think the position is that so far as a patient in hospital is concerned, it is extremely difficult for my Department to assess what the position will be when he leaves, and that is what I have suggested in the reply which my friend the Commissioner for Resettlement has just given. I do not think that we can anticipate the condition of the patient when he leaves hospital or the advice which we shall get from medical sources at that time.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- May I also mention the fact and ask why in this particular case the woman approached me for compassionate resettlement, but the report of the Social Welfare Officer said that the woman was not really interested in resettlement?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:- I can only say that my case worker reported that he had the impression that the woman was not altogether unhappy where she was living, but this impression may have been wrong.
(21) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:--
(a) Is it true that in future the electric mains in new resettlement factories are to be increased?
(b) If the answer to (a) is in the affirmative, would it then be true to assume that the mains in the older factories were inadequate?
(c) What urgent measures are being taken to ensure that the factories are able to carry on their business?
(d) Is the department aware of the hardship caused to these small factory-owners with the daily break-downs now numbering four or five?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:--
The replies to the various parts of this question are as follows:
(a) Rising mains in new resettlement factories will be provided on a more generous scale than in the past.
(b) It should not be assumed from this that rising mains in the older factories were inadequate at the time when the buildings were first occupied. In some cases they have later proved to be inadequate owing to some of the tenants installing more machinery or more powerful motors with or without authority.
(c) Members are aware of the proposals to improve matters by installing circuit breakers and additional rising mains, at the expense of those tenants whose consumption of electricity is high. An application has been made for supplementary provision to enable this to be done, and I am assured that the work will be carried out as quickly as possible starting with those blocks where breakdowns have occurred.
(d) The Resettlement Department is only too well aware of the hardship caused by these breakdowns. A survey has recently been completed of all the machinery and motors in undertakings on the 3rd floor of the San Po Kong No. 1 factory where breakdowns have been very frequent during July and August. This survey shows that several tenants were given approval to install machinery, with its associated electric motor, of a certain capacity, and have then changed the electric motor to one requiring greater power. One undertaking was found to be using 90 Amps in excess of the approved connected electrical load, whereas the total power available for the whole floor is only 100 Amps. On 25th August, the principal offenders were given 24 hours' notice to disconnect the unauthorized motors, failing which the department would disconnect them itself. Any recurrence of such practices before additional rising mains and circuit breakers are installed, may result in the offenders being served with notices terminating their tenancies. I regret that these unauthorized
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installations have caused the breakdowns and the consequent hardship to other tenants.
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Here is the corrected version in HTML format as requested:Page 141 of 312
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
As regards the demolition of his hut, an officer of the Squatter Control Division of the Resettlement Department discovered a new hut under construction and not yet occupied. In accordance with his standing instructions, he took immediate action to demolish it. He was approached by a girl who said that the hut was being built for someone who had just been discharged from hospital, but he had no authority to postpone demolition on that account, nor could I accept such a statement as a valid excuse for inaction or delay. On no occasion did the man's family or anyone else make any approach to the Resettlement Department to explain the circumstances of the case or to apply for compassionate resettlement on their behalf.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask if in the investigation for compassionate resettlement, it would not be normal in the case of a sick person in hospital to inquire what is the sickness and what is the likelihood of a sick person returning home at some time, in order to influence whether or not the case deserves resettlement?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:- I certainly can answer that, Mr. Chairman. I think the position is that so far as a patient in hospital is concerned, it is extremely difficult for my Department to assess what the position will be when he leaves, and that is what I have suggested in the reply which my friend the Commissioner for Resettlement has just given. I do not think that we can anticipate the condition of the patient when he leaves hospital or the advice which we shall get from medical sources at that time.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- May I also mention the fact and ask why in this particular case the woman approached me for compassionate resettlement, but the report of the Social Welfare Officer said that the woman was not really interested in resettlement?
DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE:- I can only say that my case worker reported that he had the impression that the woman was not altogether unhappy where she was living, but this impression may have been wrong.
(21) MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question:--
(a) Is it true that in future the electric mains in new resettlement factories are to be increased?
(b) If the answer to (a) is in the affirmative, would it then be true to assume that the mains in the older factories were inadequate?
(c) What urgent measures are being taken to ensure that the factories are able to carry on their business?
(d) Is the department aware of the hardship caused to these small factory-owners with the daily break-downs now numbering four or five?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:--
The replies to the various parts of this question are as follows:
(a) Rising mains in new resettlement factories will be provided on a more generous scale than in the past.
(b) It should not be assumed from this that rising mains in the older factories were inadequate at the time when the buildings were first occupied. In some cases they have later proved to be inadequate owing to some of the tenants installing more machinery or more powerful motors with or without authority.
(c) Members are aware of the proposals to improve matters by installing circuit breakers and additional rising mains, at the expense of those tenants whose consumption of electricity is high. An application has been made for supplementary provision to enable this to be done, and I am assured that the work will be carried out as quickly as possible starting with those blocks where breakdowns have occurred.
(d) The Resettlement Department is only too well aware of the hardship caused by these breakdowns. A survey has recently been completed of all the machinery and motors in undertakings on the 3rd floor of the San Po Kong No. 1 factory where breakdowns have been very frequent during July and August. This survey shows that several tenants were given approval to install machinery, with its associated electric motor, of a certain capacity, and have then changed the electric motor to one requiring greater power. One undertaking was found to be using 90 Amps in excess of the approved connected electrical load, whereas the total power available for the whole floor is only 100 Amps. On 25th August, the principal offenders were given 24 hours' notice to disconnect the unauthorized motors, failing which the department would disconnect them itself. Any recurrence of such practices before additional rising mains and circuit breakers are installed, may result in the offenders being served with notices terminating their tenancies. I regret that these unauthorized installations have caused the breakdowns and the consequent hardship to other tenants.
Page 142 of 312
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
installations have caused the breakdowns and the consequent hardship to other tenants.
Page 143 of 312
261
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL