20
Wednesday, October 17, 1973
But the rural areas of the New Territories present a special
problem. In them, in particular, we are faced with the phenomenon of rural
alums.
Their elimination involves complex problems because of the mix of
small factories, pig, poultry and vegetable farms and residential huts
that comprise them. A pilot scheme is now being worked out for the
development of an area near Yuen Long.
Last year I mentioned that there was a requirement for better
What is needed on present assessments
housing in the rural New Territories.
is, additional, decent housing for something like 250,000. Work on the
planning of the necessary rural estates has started, but it will be one
or two years before the first of them is ready for occupation. As an interim
step, attention is being paid to improving the conditions in the rural areas
wherever possible. Examples of those measures are the two new housing estates,
financed mainly by charitable donations from U.S.A. and Canada, and opened
this year at Cheung Chau and Sai Kung; the new small-house policy introduced
at the end of last year; the planned provision of over a thousand items of
small public works over the next three years: and the doubling of cleansing
and sanitation staff over the last three years.
I should add that in reorganising the machinery of Government it
was always accepted that once the new Secretaries were in position, it would
be necessary to adjust the position and status of the District Commissioner
to ensure that the special requirements of the Now Territories were to
receive the consideration they deserved. We expect to make an announcement
about this before Mr. Bray's successor takes over.
Gambling