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opposition that they would arouse. It may be that some such drastic action may become necessary but I should hesitate to recommend it at this stage.
Mr. Henry Hu made a number of proposals: that Class II Licensed Areas should be replaced by transit centres; that resettlement should be made available to all who ask for it; and that resettlement rents should not be increased. Mr Hu has since asked that these proposals be referred for consideration to the Resettlement Policy Select Committee, and I do not want at this stage to anticipate any recommendation that this Committee might make. However, I must refer to two misconceptions in Mr. Hu's argument. Government does not, as Mr. Hu supposed, make money by running resettlement estates; they are of course subsidized from public funds. Mr. Hu has also been misinformed in quoting $40 a square foot as the cost of building a hut in a licensed area. My information is that the cost normally ranges from $2.50 to $3.50 a square foot; and that even in a steep and comparatively isolated site it would not rise above $5 a square foot.
Mr. Hu also referred to overcrowding and proposed that all children, of whatever age, should be treated as adults in allocating resettlement rooms. I have referred to this point in my reply to Dr. BELL. All I can add is that Mr. Hu's more drastic proposal would slow down still further the rate at which present overcrowding could be relieved.
Finally I must refer to a complaint made by Mr. BERNACCHI that there was delay in implementing a change of policy in the calculation of densities in shared rooms. The complaint was made to illustrate a point that Mr. BERNACCHI was making and I feel it would be out of place to embark upon a detailed explanation. However I can assure you, Sir, that the Department did not, as Mr. BERNACCHI implied, deliberately hold up action in the case, nor did it fix an arbitrary date for the new policy to come into effect.
Mr. Chairman, before I conclude, I should like to refer to Mr. LI Yiu-bor's opening remarks in which he informed us that this would be his last Annual Debate. Mr. LI was almost a founder Member of the Resettlement Estates Select Committee, which was the forerunner of the Resettlement Management Select Committee, and he has been Chairman of this Committee since 1961. My predecessors and I have benefited considerably from his knowledge and experience and from the capable way in which he has handled the affairs of the Committee Mr. LI will still be with us for some time but I am glad of this opportunity of thanking him publicly for his services. (Applause).
(Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN arrived during the course of the Commissioner's address).
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THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-Like Mr. LI Yiu-bor this is the last Annual Conventional Debate in which I shall take part, but I have only seven to my credit compared with his fourteen. Like him, I shall be brief.
Both Mr. Kenneth Lo and Mrs. ELLIOTT spoke about urban renewal. My answer to Mr. BERNACCHI's question earlier this afternoon gave some indication of the not unsatisfactory progress which has been made on the implementation of the Working Party's Report. Many slum clearance schemes throughout the world have failed because people living in the slum areas have no wish to be moved lock stock and barrel to new accommodation in some remote housing estate, however the environment might be improved. Any large scale clearance of our slums must, I believe, wait until we have suitable Low Cost Housing estates in or near the urban area to which dispossessed tenants can move if they wish to accept Government's offer of rehousing. Finding suitable sites in the urban area has been and is a great problem and it may well be 1970 or 1971 before such an estate becomes available.
Earlier this month the Finance Committee of Legislative Council voted funds for the acquisition of sites--of which there are several vacant ones within the Working Party's pilot scheme area-the redevelopment of which, before Government has taken a decision on the pilot scheme, could frustrate the construction of the new roads in the area. This, Mr. Chairman, I believe is a very, very big step forward towards slum clearance in the Working Party's area. I hope that this authority to acquire sites will be extended soon to other areas outside but close to the pilot scheme area, where redevelopment of small sites fronting on to inaccessible narrow lanes or internal courts before Government has taken a decision on urban renewal, would perpetuate the present unhealthy environment.
A further measure to facilitate the clearance of old and dilapidated property is the proposal made by the Town Planning Board, and included in the recently published draft plan for Wan Chai, whereby the Board recommends that Government should acquire sites for local open space, totalling about one acre, in the heavily built-up area of Wan Chai south of Johnson Road. The Board intends to make similar recommendations when preparing plans for other densely populated and heavily built-up areas. Provided the necessary funds are made available, we shall clear some of our slums and at the same time increase the provision of open space where it is needed most.
Mrs. ELLIOTT complained not only of lack of progress on slum clearance, but also claimed that in spite of the various reports on traffic, transport and satellite towns, nothing has happened. I quote "what we do have to show for all the reports, plans, booklets, blue prints and
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