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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1980
TWO UNOFFICIAL LEGCO MEMBERS
EXPRESS VIEWS ON RENT CONTROL BILL
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THE ACCELERATING TREND TOWARDS UNCONSCIONABLE RENT INCREASES WAS BEGINNING SERIOUSLY TO AFFECT NOT ONLY THE WHOLE PROPERTY MARKET, BUT ALSO IF ALLOWED TO CONTINUE THE STABILITY OF THE
- - COMMUNITY, THE HON JOHN BREMRIDGE SAID,
SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1980 IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), HE SAID THE LEGISLATION PUT FORWARD WOULD PROVIDE A COOLING OFF PERIOD DURING WHICH THE GOVERNMENT MUST CONSIDER MORE EQUITABLE LONG TERM MEASURES,
AND HE HOPED THESE WILL INCLUDE PROVISION FOR A RATHER HIGHER PERCENTAGE INCREASE FOR RENTS AND NEW THINKING ON RELATED ISSUES SUCH AS PLOT RATIOS.
ALTHOUGH HE BELIEVED THE BILL WAS IN THE IMMEDIATE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS ONLY A +TEMPORARY PALLIATIVE WHICH MUST GIVE WAY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO MORE SATISFACTORY LONG TERM MEASURES+,
THERE ARE IN FACT TWO MAJOR AND INTERTWINED ISSUES CONFRONTING THE GOVERNMENT THE PROTECTION FOR EXISTING DOMESTIC TENANTS AND, MORE IMPORTANT, THE PROVISION OF MORE FLATS FOR RENTING, HE SAID.
ON THE FIRST ISSUE, HE NOTED THAT THERE WERE AT PRESENT 43 000 UN CONTROLLED FLATS WITH ABOUT 200 000 PEOPLE BEING INVOLVED IN RENTAL INCREASE PROBLEMS,
A NUMBER OF THE TENANTS WERE RICH OR OBTAINED ASSISTANCE OF SOME SORT OR ANOTHER, BUT A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENTAGE REPRESENTED THE EMBATTLED MIDDLE CLASS.
+I BELIEVE MYSELF THAT GOVERNMENT CAN BE FAULTED FOR NOT TAKING STRONG ACTION SOME SIX MONTHS AGO WHEN ALL THE WARNING SIGNS WERE APPARENT.
+HOWEVER THIS MAY BE, AND DESPITE EARLIER ASSURANCES ABOUT FREEDOM FROM CONTROLS, NO RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT NOW COULD TOLERATE THE PROBLEMS BEING INFLICTED BY SOME GREEDY LANDLORDS ON SOME TENANTS LIVING IN UNCONTROLLED FLATS, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.
HE NOTED THAT THE PROPOSED MEASURES BY THE GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL RENT INCREASES WERE OF NECESSITY BLUNT AND BLUNT MEASURES HAD TO BRING WITH THEM SOME DEGREE OF INEQUITY.
+I WOULD PREFER MYSELF A TWO TIERED SYSTEM WITH PREVIOUSLY UN CONTROLLED RENTS BEING PEGGED TO A 14 PER CENT PER YEAR INCREASE, THAT IS 30 PER CENT IN TWO YEARS.
+1 CAN SEE HOWEVER THE IMMEDIATE COMPLICATIONS THAT THIS LATTER PROPOSAL WOULD CAUSE, AND I AGREE THAT THE LEGISLATION PUT FORWARD WILL PROVIDE A COOLING OFF PERIOD DURING WHICH GOVERNMENT MUST CONSIDER OTHER AND MORE EQUITABLE LONG TERM MEASURES.+
/A MAJOR