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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1983
HE SAID THAT TO MEET THE EXPECTED INCREASE IN DEMAND FROM THIS EXPANSION OF NETWORK, THE COMPANY WAS SEEKING A GRANT OF LAND ON WHICH TO BUILD A SECOND PRODUCTION PLANT.
ON THE GUANGDONG NUCLEAR POWER STATION, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT THE LONGER-TERM DEMAND FORECASTS SUGGESTED THAT HONG KONG WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL GENERATING CAPACITY IN THE 1990'S.
+WE HAVE THEREFORE BEEN CONSIDERING POSSIBLE PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT BY HONG KONG INTERESTS, AND THE TERMS ON WHICH HONG KONG MIGHT PURCHASE ELECTRICITY FROM THE POWER STATION, HE SAID.
SIR EDWARD SAID THE REPORT BY MERCHANT BANKERS COMMISSIONED TO ADVISE ON THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS RAISED SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES WHICH WOULD NEED TO BE DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES.
+OUR PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT IS, HOWEVER, THAT, PROVIDED THESE DISCUSSIONS PROVE SATISFACTORY, IT OUGHT TO BE POSSIBLE TO NEGOTIATE AN OFF-TAKE AGREEMENT WHICH WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO ALL CONCERNED, HE SAID.
HOUSING REMAINS HIGH PRIORITY ****
HONG KONG SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE DECENT HOMES FOR MOST IF NOT ALL OF THOSE FAMILIES NOW ELIGIBLE FOR PUBLIC HOUSING BY THE END OF THIS DECADE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SIR EDWARD SAID THAT THE HOUSING PROGRAMME REMAINED A HIGH PRIORITY, AND RIGHTLY SO SINCE BETTER HOUSING WAS ONE OF THE MAIN ASPIRATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
HE SAID THAT ABOUT 240 000 NEW DWELLINGS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE TOTAL HOUSING STOCK IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, INCLUDING MORE THAN 111 000 NEW FLATS BUILT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THREE-QUARTERS OF THEM OCCUPIED BY THE IR OWNERS.
IN 1982 ALONE, HE SAID, TOTAL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCTION WAS 67 000 FLATS, JUST BELOW THE RECORD FIGURE FOR 1981 AND, IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, SOME 130 000 FLATS WERE AT PRESENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND BETWEEN NOW, AND THE END OF THIS DECADE OVER 300 000 FLATS WOULD BE PRODUCED FOR RENT OR SALE.
SIR EDWARD ADDED THAT THE PROBLEMS OF THOSE FAMILIES IN THE OLDEST RESETTLEMENT BLOCKS HAD NOT BEEN IGNORED REDEVELOPMENT OF SHEK KIP MEI, THE FIRST RESETTLEMENT BLOCK, WOULD BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR WHILE OTHER OLDER ESTATES HAD ALREADY BEEN LARGELY TRANSFORMED INTO MODERN ESTATES.
/HE SAID