10
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1978
MAJOR REVIEW OF BUILDING CONTROL LAW UNDERWAY
****
THE GOVERNMENT IS CONDUCTING A MAJOR REVIEW OF EXISTING BUILDING CONTROL LEGISLATION AND IS EXPLORING MEANS OF INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE LAW RELATING TO BUILDING AND THE DANGERS OF CARRYING OUT ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE HON. DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON, LEUNG TAT-SHING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
+AS PART OF THIS REVIEW, A STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED INTO THE TYPES OF ILLEGAL WORKS COMMONLY CARRIED OUT AND THEIR EFFECTS SO AS TO ASCERTAIN WHAT FURTHER EXEMPTIONS UNDER THE LEGISLATION COULD BE GIVEN IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE OVERALL PROBLEM TO ONE OF PRACTICABLE DIMENSIONS, HE SAID. +AT THE SAME TIME, METHODS OF IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS ARE ALSO BEING EXAMINED.+
MR. MCDONALD SAID THAT THE CURRENT POLICY REGARDING ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1975.
IN VIEW OF THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE STAFFING SITUATION IN THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, HE SAID, IT WAS DECIDED THAT FOR BUILDINGS COMPLETED AFTER JULY 31, 1975, ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST ALL WORKS WHICH CONTRAVENED THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE AND FOR BUILDINGS COMPLETED ON OR BEFORE THAT DATE ACTION WOULD BE RESTRICTED TO REMOVING ILLEGAL WORKS WHICH WERE A RISK TO LIFE AND LIMB.
REFERRING TO MR. LEUNG'S QUESTION, MR. MCDONALD SAID IT MAINLY RELATED TO THE VERY LARGE NUMBER OF POSTWAR DOMESTIC BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED BEFORE AUGUST 1975.
+WHILE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO FORECAST WHEN ILLEGAL BUILDING WORKS IN THESE PREMISES CAN BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL, IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS TO BE MADE IN THE NEXT SESSION FOLLOWING THE REVIEW I HAVE REFERRED TO. TOGETHER WITH A FURTHER EXPANSION OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE, WILL ENABLE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS TO BE MADE IN THIS FIELD, HE ADDED.
/11