TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1982
INTERESTS OF NT PEOPLE PROTECTED BY NTA
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ONE OF THE PRIMARY ROLES OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, NOW THE NT REGIONAL WING OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND FURTHER THE LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS OF THE NT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE SO FAR AS THIS HAS BEEN WITHIN ITS POWER.
ADDRESSING THE NEW TERRITORIES HEUNG YEE KUK SPRING FESTIVAL PARTY THIS EVENING (TUESDAY), THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR IAN MACPHERSON, SAID THE ADMINISTRATION HAD ACTED ON THE ONE HAND AS AN INTERPRETER OF GOVERNMENT POLICY, AND ON THE OTHER AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE NT PEOPLE.
+IT HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CONSTANT CONCERN OF THIS ADMINISTRATION TO TRY TO ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE INTERESTS ARE KEPT REASONABLY BALANCED- THIS HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF ALL OUR ENDEAVOURS, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THERE WILL BE NO ABDICATION OF THIS RESPONSIBILITY AS A RESULT OF THE ORGANISATIONAL CHANGES WHICH HAVE TAKEN PLACE OR ARE ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE - REFER OF COURSE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION WITH EFFECT FROM DECEMBER 1, 1981 AND OF THE LANDS DEPARTMENT WITH EFFECT FROM APRIL 1, 1982, + MR MACPHERSON SAID.
+THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE HAVE SUCCEEDED IN OUR TASK IS PERHAPS NOT FOR ME TO JUDGE BUT VENTURE TO SUGGEST THAT THE PROGRESS WE SEE ALL AROUND US IN THE NT INDICATES THAT WE HAVE NOT TOTALLY FAILED.
+HOWEVER, WE WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO LOOK TO THE KUK FOR ADVICE WHICH WE HAVE FOUND USEFUL IN THE FORMULATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES.+
MR MACPHERSON SAID IN THE PAST NINE MONTHS NO LESS THAN 12 VILLAGES HAD RECEIVED WATER SUPPLY AND DURING THE NEXT YEAR ANOTHER 47 VILLAGES IN 15 AREAS THROUGHOUT THE NT COULD EXPECT TO BENEFIT.
FURTHERMORE, THE WATER SUPPLIES DEPARTMENT AIMED TO INTRODUCE A SUPPLY TO MOST NT VILLAGES WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
ON HOUSING, MR MACPHERSON SAID HE WAS ENCOURAGED TO FIND THAT THE RECONVENED JOINT WORKING GROUP WAS PREPARED TO TAKE A CONSTRUCTIVE AND IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES OF THE SMALL HOUSE POLICY AND THAT IT WOULD NOT EXCLUDE NEW THINKING FROM ITS DELIBERATIONS.
+ON THE QUESTION OF LAND EXCHANGE ENTITLEMENTS, THE GOVERNMENT IS AS YOU KNOW GIVING URGENT CONSIDERATION TO THIS PROBLEM. THE HEUNG YEE KUK WILL SHORTLY BE CONSULTED AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR PRACTICAL AND SENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS,+ HE SAID.
+SO LET US HOPE THAT IN A SPIRIT OF SINCERITY AND COOPERATION WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.+
/HE SAID