THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1978
11
ON THE SUBJECT OF PROVIDING ACCESS TO MORE ISOLATED VILLAGES, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S RECORD WAS NOT BAD AND WORK WAS CONTINUING, ONLY LAST YEAR EIGHT NEW MOTORABLE ACCESS TRACKS WERE BUILT AND 13 REPAIRED.
THOSE VILLAGES WHICH STILL DID NOT HAVE VEHICULAR ACCESS, HE SAID, WERE USUALLY VERY REMOTE OR SPARSELY INHABITED, SAVE IN A FEW CASES WHERE PRIVATE LAND PREVENTED IT. + I BELIEVE WE HAVE NOW REACHED A POINT WHERE, IN CERTAIN CASES, WE SHOULD TACKLE THE PROBLEM, AS MR. YEUNG SUGGESTS, BY RESUMPTION OF THE LAND REQUIRED,+ HE SAID.
ON WATER SUPPLY. MR. AKERS-JONES SAID THERE WERE PROJECTS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME TO IMPROVE EXISTING SUPPLY ZONES AND TO EXTEND WATER SUPPLY TO NEW AREAS.
+THESE INCLUDE PROVISION OF SUPPLY TO MA WAN AND LAMMA, AND TO CHEUNG SHA ON LANTAU.
+PROVISION OF A SUPPLY, AS I SAID IN 1976, IS ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOPMENT OF THESE PLACES. AND I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT TARGET DATES HAVE BEEN SET FOR MA WAN AND CHEUNG SHA, AND THAT CONSULTANTS HAVE NOW BEEN APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE ABOUT THE SUPPLY FOR LAMMA ISLAND WITH A VIEW TO GETTING ON WITH IT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE,+ HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD, WHERE POSSIBLE, ENTERTAINED REQUESTS FOR THE PROVISION OF INDIVIDUAL METRED WATER SUPPLY FOR VILLAGE HOUSES, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING WATER FROM A PUBLIC STAND- PIPE.
MR. AKERS-JONES SAID IT WAS A REGRETTABLE FACT THAT PART OF THE PRICE OF DEVELOPMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WAS THE ACQUISITION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY AND THE DISTURBANCE AND, IN SOME CASES, COMPLETE REMOVAL OF LONG-ESTABLISHED VILLAGES.
BUT
+EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO REDUCE THIS TO THE MINIMUM AND CONSTANTLY TO REVIEW REMOVAL TERMS AND THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE. THE OPTIONS ARE LIMITED BY THAT VERY PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT WHOSE AIM IS TO TURN A RURAL ENVIRONMENT INTO AN INDUSTRIAL ISED TOWN, HE SAID.
MR. AKERS-JONES SPOKE ON REMOVAL TERMS FOR VILLAGE HOUSES AS WELL AS THE RESITING OF VILLAGES WHICH ARE BUILT TO MODERN STANDARDS AND PROPER LAYOUT AND WITH MODERN SERVICES.
HE SAID THERE WERE PLANS TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT OF VILLAGES WHICH COULD BE LEFT WHERE THEY WERE, AND PROVIDE THEM WITH VARIOUS FACILITIES NOW LACKING.
MR. AKERS-JONES CONTINUED TO SPEAK ON VARIOUS ASPECTS OF COUNTRY PARKS AND MAINTAINING LAW AND ORDER IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
/+THE GOVERNMENT