THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1988
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HE PRAISED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR ADOPTING SEMI-MECHANISED METHODS FOR ITS CONTRACTS AND FOR ITS NEW DESIGN FOR STANDARD BLOCKS WHICH FURTHER EXPLOITED THE ADVANTAGES OF MODULAR COMPONENTS IN
CONSTRUCTION.
IN THE LONG TERM, HOWEVER, MR HO SAID THE SOLUTION TO THE LABOUR SHORTAGE PROBLEM IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY LAY IN SYSTEMS THAT RELIED ON THE EMPLOYMENT OF SKILLED LABOUR.
THIS MEANT THERE WOULD BE GRADUAL PHASING OUT OF UNSKILLED LABOUR, TO BE REPLACED BY PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE BETTER TRAINED, FEWER IN NUMBER, BUT WHO WOULD RECEIVE BETTER INCOME AND WOULD BE WORKING IN CONDITIONS THAT WERE SAFER AND MORE AGREEABLE.
ON TOWN PLANNING, MR HO SAID HE SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF A SPECIAL POLICY BRANCH OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT, SINCE TOWN PLANNING HAD A DIRECT IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT, AND ENVIRONMENT CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD FORM AN INTRINSIC PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS.
HE BELIEVED THAT THIS WOULD PROVIDE A MORE CENTRAL FOCUS IN
THE PLANNING OF OUR TERRITORIES AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.
MR HO ALSO SAID IT WAS NOW APPARENT THAT THE ROLE OF THE TOWN PLANNING BOARD SHOULD BE RE-EXAMINED.
ITS FUNCTION SHOULD BB UPGRADED TO CONSIDER PLANNING AT TERRITORIAL AND SUB-REGIONAL LEVELS, AND PART OF ITS PRESENT FUNCTION SHOULD BE DEVOLVED SO THAT PLANNING
AT DISTRICT AND LOCAL LEVELS WOULD BE PERFORMED BY A SMALL NUMBER OF STATUTORY LOCAL PLANNING BODIES.
SUGGESTED THAT THE SPECIAL VOCATIONAL WAS AN AVAILABLE ACADEMY FOR PERFORMING
REFERRING TO EDUCATION AND CULTURE, MR HO GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, SO THAT THERE SOURCE OF SUITABLY PREPARED STUDENTS FOR THE ARTS.
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