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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 1975
SPECIAL ATTENTION PAID TO SQUATTERS SAFETY
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A VERY CLOSE WATCH IS KEPT ON SQUATTER HUTS FOUND IN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LOCATIONS AND SPEICAL ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO THEM, THE HON. IAN LIGHTDODY, SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, SAID TODAY.
AS AN INDICATION, HE INFORMED COUNCIL THAT MORE THAN 260 PEOPLE HAD BEEN CLEARED FROM NINE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AREAS DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, AND ANOTHER FOUR AREAS INVOLVING OVER 400 PEOPLE WERE BEING CLEARED.
+THIS SURVEILLANCE IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS,+ HE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN.
SINCE THE SURVEY OF SQUATTER AND LICENSED AREAS FOLLOWING THE JUNE 1972 RAINSTORMS, MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE HAD BEEN CLEARED FROM 49 POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ÁREAS, HE ADDED.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. KO SIU-WAH ABOUT IMPROVING LIVING CONDITIONS IN TOLERATED SQUATTER AREAS, MR. LIGHTBODY NOTED THAT SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE DIFFICULT BY THE NATURE OF THE TERRAIN AND GENERAL CONGESTION
IN SOME AREAS.
HOWEVER, WATER SUPPLY IN THESE AREAS WAS OF GENERALLY REASONABLE STANDARDS, HE SAID.
AS FOR ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES, THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HAD JUST COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF SUPPLY IN URBAN' SQUATTER AREAS AND THIS WOULD BE STUDIED WITH A VIEW TO DECIDING WHAT ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN.
MEANWHILE, MR. LIGHTBODY SAID, +THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT WILL MAINTAIN A GENERAL OVERSIGHT OF THESE AREAS TO ENSURE THAT ATTENTION IS GIVEN TO ANY PARTICULAR PROBLEM THAT MAY ARISE.+
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