+
-
5
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1980
SHE SAID IN ALL HER DISCUSSIONS AMONG FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES AT WORK AND IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL NOT ONE PERSON HAD BEEN ABLE TO SHOW CLEARLY THE SENSE OF THIS CLAUSE.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT 'HARDSHIP' IS A RELATIVE TERM WHICH CANNOT BE EASILY DEFINED.
I THINK IT IS THAT NEED TO PROVE GREATER HARDSHIP THAN YOUR TENANT WHICH HAS TURNED THE PROFESSIONAL AND MIDDLE-CLASS OWNER OF ONE FLAT INTO A CRITIC OF THIS BILL,+ MISS BENNETT SAID.
SHE SAID SHE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE GOVERNMENT, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE HOUSING SOCIETY SHOULD BE PROTECTED AS TENANTS, AS PROPOSED IN THE BILL.
SHE ALSO ASKED WHAT PROVISIONS WERE TO BE MADE TO CONTROL SUB-TENANCIES.
MISS BENNETT WAS HOPEFUL THAT THESE AND OTHER MATTERS WOULD BE RESOLVED EARLY AND CERTAINLY WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
THE HON S.L. CHEN
HE SAID HE WOULD SUPPORT THE BILL ONLY AS A TEMPORARY MEANS TO COOL OFF THE RAPIDLY OVERHEATING SITUATION AND REITERATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD MAKE EVERY POSSIBLE EFFORT TO COMPLETE ALL THE RELEVANT STUDIES IN TIME FOR A PACKAGE SOLUTION TO BE PRODUCED BEFORE THE END OF 1981.
WHILE AGREEING THAT AN INCREASE IN LAND SUPPLY WILL PROVIDE THE LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO THE IMBALANCE BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF DOMESTIC PREMISES, MR CHEN POINTED OUT THAT AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER TO THE PRESENT SPIRALLING RENT INCREASE PROBLEM IS TO CURB SPECULATION,
+1 AM SURPRISED THAT GOVERNMENT DID NOT OPT FOR THIS LATTER COURSE OF REMEDY, ALTHOUGH THE POSSIBILITY OF LEGISLATION PROHIBITING EXCESSIVE SPECULATION HAS NOT BEEN RULED OUT AS INDICATED IN THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, HE SAID.
MR CHEN REMINDED THE GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW THE RESTRICTIONS ON PLOT RATIO AND ON BUILDING HEIGHT IN ORDER TO MAXIMISE LAND USAGE AS WELL AS THE EXISTING ZONING POLICY, AS SUGGESTED BY A FORMER UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR, MR Q.W. LEE, IN 1978.
HE SAID THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN UP AS A MATTER OF URGENCY IN THE LIGHT OF THE CURRENT SITUATION.
ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL, MR CHEN SUGGESTED:
A MORE REALISTIC RATE OF RENT INCREASE PERMITTED OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD-
* LUXURIOUS PREMISES IN EXCESS OF 160 SQUARE METRES
AND WITH AN ANNUAL RENT OF OVER $100 000 BE EXCLUDED FROM RENT CONTROL- AND
CCHSIDERATION