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(b) If (a) is in the negative, who decided on this policy? What was the minimum decided by the Committees of this Council?
(c) Why are squatters being removed from land to be sold for private profit-making concerns, when our own tenants are living in sub-human, overcrowded conditions?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:-
In reply to the first two parts of the question the Resettlement Management and Policy Select Committees decided in December 1963 that, for the time being, relief of over-crowding should take effect when room densities fall below 16 square feet per adult. In implementing this policy priority has been given to those cases where overcrowding is highest and, as stated by Mr. BARTY at the February meeting of this Council, the department was then giving preference to those families with a room density below 13 square feet per adult.
During the first 3 months of 1965, 780 families (5,285 persons) living in overcrowded resettlement rooms were allocated larger rooms. There are still about 800 families living in resettlement rooms with space of 13 square feet or less per adult; this represents less than 0.8% of the total number of families now in resettlement accommodation. Three families in every 100 living in resettlement estates now have 16 square feet or less living space per adult.
In reply to the third part of the question squatters, who are often living in far worse overcrowded conditions than any that exist in the older resettlement estates, are resettled in order to release land for development projects in the Public Works programme; only a small proportion of land so released is eventually offered for sale by Government for industrial or other private purposes.
MRS. ELLIOTT:--Mr. Chairman, may I ask if the Resettlement Department takes this decision to lower the minimum of 13 square feet without the agreement of the Policy Select Committee?
MR. BERNACCHI :-If I might reply to that question myself, I believe that a paper is coming before the Policy Select Committee at its next meeting.
DR. LEE: Mr. Chairman, as a matter of interest and also as a supplementary question, if a family moves from highly congested premises what will the density be when they move to their new quarters?
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COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-The allocation of space to families moving out of overcrowded resettlement rooms is on the basis of 24 square feet of living space per adult.
(4) MR. K. S. Lo asked the following question:—
It has now become a practice for Government to make known to the public through the press around Christmas and New Year that it is unlawful to send gifts to civil servants. Could the Department make similar announcements in both Chinese and English papers during licensing time, warning licence holders against offering gifts to Inspectors?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
Our Government regulations concerning refusal of gifts from members of the public are normally brought to the attention of all officers once a year. It is customary for a press release to be made in December to remind the public that it is an offence to offer gifts to civil servants during Christmas and at Chinese New Year.
It is, I think, already well known by members of the public that the giving of presents to civil servants is prohibited, but I am referring to the Food and Food Premises Select Committee for consideration your suggestion that a further press notice be published shortly before the restaurant licence renewal period.
(5) Mr. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:-
I have received complaints from residents in the Li Cheng Uk Resettlement Estate that dogs which are being kept either as pets or as watch dogs are causing a nuisance to many residents. Will the Commissioner for Resettlement state: (a) What is the Resettlement Department's policy in regard to the keeping of dogs in resettlement estates? (b) Whether all or most dogs in resettlement estates are licensed?
THE COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT replied as follows:
In regard to the first part of the question condition 2(g) of the General Conditions on the reverse of the statutory tenancy card prohibits tenants of resettlement estates from keeping
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