WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 1984
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DR IP, TOGETHER WITH THE HON PETER C. WONG, WAS SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE LANDLORD AND TENANT (CONSOLIDATION) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984, AT THE RESUMED DEBATE TODAY.
SHE COMPLIMENTED THE ADMINISTRATION +IN PRODUCING SUCH A FINE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, WHICH WAS SO METICULOUSLY WELL CALCULATED SO AS NOT TO BRING SIGNIFICANT HARDSHIP TO THE TENANTS AFFECTED.+
DR IP SAID THAT THE ONLY RESIDENTIAL PREMISES WHICH WILL BE COMPLETELY DECONTROLLED ARE THE LUXURY FLATS, +73 PER CENT OF WHICH ARE LET TO CORPORATIONS ANYWAY.+
MR WONG SAID THAT THE BILL MADE FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE AS PART OF THE PROCESS OF CONTINUOUS REVIEW OF THE COMPLEX QUESTION OF RENT CONTROL,
DISCUSSING SOME OF THE NEW MEASURES IN THE BILL, HE SAID THAT FROM JULY 1 THIS YEAR ALL PRE-WAR BUSINESS PREMISES WILL BE DECONTROLLED OR EXCLUDED FROM PART 1, BUT WILL BECOME SUBJECT TO PART V OF THE ORDINANCE, WHICH DEALS WITH NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF TENANCY.
SECTION 122 (1) (B) STIPULATES THAT THE NOTICE SHALL BE SERVED BY THE LANDLORD NOT LESS THAN SIX MONTHS, OR BY THE TENANT, NOT LESS THAN ONE MONTH, BEFORE THE DAY ON WHICH IT TAKES EFFECT.
MR WONG SAID THAT FROM DECEMBER 19 THIS YEAR, POST-WAR PREMISES WITH A RATEABLE VALUE OF $35 000 OR ABOVE WOULD BE DECONTROLLED OR EXCLUDED FROM PART 11, BUT WILL BE SUBJECT TO PART IV WHICH PROVIDES SECURITY OF TENURE AT THE PREVAILING MARKET RENT.
A NEW PROVISION, HE SAID, PERMITS THE TRANSFER OF TENANCIES FROM PART II TO PART IV.
+PART 1 RELATES TO CONTROLLED POST-WAR DOMESTIC PREMISES WHILE PART IV PROVIDES SECURITY OF TENURE AT THE PREVAILING MARKET RENT.
+THERE IS MERIT IN SUCH PROPOSAL AS IT ADDS FLEXIBILITY TO THE LEGISLATION. IT IS THEREFORE A MEASURE TO BE WELCOMED, HE SAID.
MR WONG SAID THAT UNOFFICIALS IN GENERAL SUPPORTED THE PROPOSALS IN THE BILL.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE OF UNOFFICIALS SET UP TO STUDY THE BILL HAD ALSO CONSIDERED THREE RELATED BILLS: LANDS TRIBUNAL (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984, JUDICIAL SERVICES COMMISSION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984 AND STAMP DUTY (AMENDMENT) BILL 1984.
THE AMENDMENTS, MR WONG SAID WERE NON-CONTROVERS I AL+,
THE FIRST TWO BILLS RECTIFY CERTAIN OMISSIONS, WHILE THE THIRD EMPOWERS THE DISTRICT COURT TO CALL ON THE EXPERTISE OF THE LANDS TRIBUNAL TO ASSIST IN STAMP DUTY APPEALS.
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