SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1977
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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NARCOTICS DIVISION OF THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT TODAY URGED THE PUBLIC TO MAKE FULL USE OF THE SERVICE WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER ANY PROBLEMS RELATED TO DRUG ABUSE.
HE STRESSED THAT ALL ENQUIRIES WOULD BE TREATED IN CONF IDENCE AND THAT THE STAFF OF THE ENQUIRY SERVICE WOULD DO THEIR BEST TO PROVIDE CALLERS WITH SATISFACTORY ANSWERS.
THE ENQUIRY SERVICE OPERATES FROM 2 A.M. TO 9 P.M. DAILY, INCLUDING SATURDAYS, SUNDAYS AND PUBLIC HOLIDAYS.
DRIVE AGAINST ILLEGAL STRUCTURES IN YUEN LONG
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THE GOVERNMENT'S INTENSIFIED CAMPAIGN TO PUT AN END TO SQUATTING IN THE RAPIDLY-DVELOPING AREAS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES HAS NOW SPREAD TO YUEN LONG.
THE YUEN LONG DISTRICT OFFICE HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED A SURVEY OF ALL THE TEMPORARY STRUCTURES IN THE AREA AND IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A TWO-PRONGED DRIVE TO BRING THE PROBLEM UNDER CONTROL.
THIS APPROACH, ACCORDING TO YUEN LONG ASSISTANT DISTRICT OFFICER, MR. PATRICK TAYLOR, WILL INVOLVE BRINGING THE MAJORITY OF THE 165,000 SURVEYED STRUCTURES UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE LAW, WHILE DEMOLISHING ALL NEW STRUCTURES ERECTED SINCE THE SURVEY.
+ IN ADDITION A BACKLOG OF DEMOLITION WORK HAS BUILT UP OVER THE PERIOD IN WHICH OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN ENGAGED IN THE SURVEY AND WE ESTIMATE THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 1,400 OUTSTANDING STRUCTURES TC DEAL WITH. WE ARE JUST STARTING A SYSTEMATIC PROGRAMME THAT WILL SEE SOME 10 OF THOSE STRUCTURES NEEDING DEMOLITION COME DOWN EVERY DAY. THIS COULD INCREASE TO 15 A DAY AS THE PROGRAMME PROGRESSES,+ HE SAID.
+WE ARE ALSO INTENSIFYING OUR ROUTINE SQUATTER CONTROL PATROLS AND BECAUSE OF THE SURVEY IT WILL BE MUCH EASIER TO IDENTIFY NEW ILLEGAL STRUCTURES.
+ALREADY, WE HAVE GIVEN WARNINGS WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO THE OCCUPIERS OF SUCH STRUCTURES AND WE HAVE ALSO INFORMED THE YUEN LONG RURAL COMMITTEES OF OUR INTENTIONS,+ MR. TAYLOR SAID,
THE YUEN LONG CAMPAIGN IS SIMILAR TO ONE BEING CARRIED OUT IN THE NEIGHBOURING TAI PO DISTRICT, WHERE THE DEMOLITION OF ILLEGAL STRUCTURES HAS BEEN INTENSIFIED IN RECENT MONTHS.
MR. TAYLOR SAID: +AS IN TAI FC, WE HAVE A GREAT NUMBER OF TEMPORARY STRUCTURES WHICH WERE ERECTED ITHOUT PERMISSION AND FOR VARIOUS REASONS IN THE PAST, SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME TOLERATED.
/+BUT FOR