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(3) with the advent of 16-storey blocks, the ratio of shops to persons cleared would diminish; and (4) many pig-breeders and cultivators do not make good shopkeepers. The recommendation of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee was endorsed by the Governor in Council.
The answer to the second part of the question is that I can find nothing in the record of the discussions which took place in committee in 1964 to suggest that the decision to change the policy was not intended to apply to those pig-breeders who might be in possession of a licence from the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries to keep pigs.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification, I was Chairman of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee at that time, and I would like to say that the question of illegality formed no factor in that position. The Urban Council thought that the Government was using resettlement shops as compensation when the more practical position would be as it is now, the giving of cash compensation.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner for Resettlement if he is aware that some pig-breeders have become social welfare cases because their livelihood has been lost?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:—I'm not sure that I am aware of that Mr. Chairman. Perhaps my colleague across the table is. (Laughter).
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask the Commissioner if he can tell me whether the proposal came from the Urban Council to the Governor or from the Governor to the Urban Council?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-From the Urban Council, Mr. Chairman.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, I support what Mr. BERNACCHI has said in explanation. I recall the reason for that decision by the Urban Council.
MR. BERNACCHI:--In point of clarification again, the compensation, the cash compensation should have been enough and I would only say that the Urban Council was disappointed that the cash compensation was not more when cash compensation was substituted for resettlement shops; but surely in answer to Mrs. ELLIOTT's question there is land available in the New Territories for the breeding of pigs that can be granted to a pig breeder on lease from the District Commissioner. How- ever, most pig breeders in the urban areas are not willing to go out to the New Territories for the purpose of pig-breeding.
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MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, I would be grateful if my senior colleague Mr. BERNACCHI did not suggest that they should come to Kowloon; (Laughter). Rather, he should indicate the Island as a likely place for resettlement.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, on a point of clarification may say that in the past the pig breeders have refused to go to the New Territories because they have been sent up a hill where there's no water. How can you rear pigs without water?
CHAIRMAN:-It seems Mrs. ELLIOTT that this is a matter which is better discussed within the Resettlement Policy Select Committee than in this meeting.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman is it not true that there is plenty of water on the Island? (Laughter).
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, if it is true that these suggestions came from the Urban Council itself, and I personally believe that it was referred to us by the Governor, we just have to agree. May I ask if we may have the privilege of revising the compensation given? May we discuss it at the Policy Select Committee with a view to revising it?
CHAIRMAN:-That will be for the Chairman of the Policy Select Committee to decide.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, I am willing to have this problem discussed at the Resettlement Policy Select Committee-I don't know whether we have the right to revise the amount of compensation, perhaps we could make recommendations that the compensation could be increased.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, in the light of devaluation and revaluation (Laughter) surely a case could be made for a revision of compensation.
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-In point of explanation, I think I would like to make two points. First of all, when this matter was originally raised in the Resettlement Policy Select Committee in 1964, the Resettlement Department proposed a different solution. It was the members of the Resettlement Policy Select Committee who turned down my proposals and recommended that shops no longer be allocated. Secondly, the scale of compensation has been approved by the Governor in Council and the Finance Committee of Legislative Council and I confirm, therefore, that it would not be for the Resettlement Policy Committee to alter the figure although, of course, they could certainly make a recommendation.
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