WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1979 ·
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+ IN SHORT WE ARE NOT RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS OR LAND, MR. AKERS- JONES SAID.
FURTHERMORE, HE SAID, WHEREVER PRACTICABLE, THE GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGED PRIVATE INITIATIVE IN TAKING PART IN DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. BECAUSE OF THIS A NUMBER OF LARGE PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES THAT HAD BEEN APPROVED DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS AT VARIOUS PLACES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WOULD LEAD TO THE PRODUCTION OF SOME 9 000 HOUSES AND FLATS IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WOULD HELP TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE AT THE UPPER END OF THE HOUSING MARKET.
MR. AKERS-JONES ALSO TOUCHED ON THE LETTER B EXCHANGE SCHEME.
WHILE HE AGREED WITH MR. HU FAT-KUANG THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD INCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF COMBINING THE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION SCHEME OF THE HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME WITH A LETTER B EXCHANGE, HE NEVERTHELESS POINTED OUT THAT IT MIGHT JUST BE TOO COMPLICATED TO MIX THE TWO OBJECTIVES.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS EXPLORING ALL POSSIBLE MEANS TO REDUCE ITS LETTER B COMMITMENT AND ADDED: +AS WE MOVE INTO THE 1980S, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER GREAT DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES AHEAD OF US. WE SHOULD NOW EXAMINE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM IN RELATION TO THOSE DEVELOPMENTS AND THE EXPECTATIONS OF PRESENT LAND OWNERS AND THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS NOW WORKING.+
ON THE SUGGESTION BY THE HON. S.L. CHEN TO DEVELOP NEW TOWNS INTO SELF-CONTAINED COMMUNITIES WITH SUFFICIENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND ADEQUATE AMENITIES, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID NO MATTER HOW EVEN THE BALANCE WAS THE NEED TO EXPAND THE EXISTING TRANSPORT NETWORK BETWEEN THE TOWNS. AS THE POPULATION, INDUSTRY AND GENERAL SOCIAL ACTIVITY INCREASED WAS INESCAPABLE.+
HE SAID: +OUR DEVELOPMENT PLANS PROVIDE SUFFICIENT EMPLOYMENT FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE EXPECT IN EACH PLACE, BUT LOCAL SUPPLY AND DEMAND DO NOT ALWAYS MATCH THE WIDER SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF THE SITUATION.
+I BELIEVE THAT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WE ARE FOLLOWING THE CORRECT DEVELOPMENT SEQUENCE BY TRYING TO KEEP DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS SOMEWHAT AHEAD OF THE GROWTH OF POPULATION IN THE INITIAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT.+
TURNING TO THE SUGGESTION THAT PRIVATE NON-PROFIT MAK ING ORGANISATIONS SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO PROVIDE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. AKERS-JONES POINTED OUT THAT THERE WAS CERTAINLY NO LACK OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND THAT THE RESPONSE HAD BEEN MAGNIFICENT.
HE CITED AS EXAMPLES A NUMBER OF PROJECTS WHICH HAD BEEN OR WOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH GENEROUS DONATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.
+ IF DONORS COME FORWARD WITH PRIVATE FUNDS, THEY CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL RESPOND, HAPPILY AND QUICKLY, IN FINDING A SUITABLE SITE OR PROJECT,+ HE SAID.
/ON THE