2
THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 1994
ww
—
[T IS NO SECRET. HOWEVER, THAT BOTH GOVERNMENTS SHARE THE OBJECTIVE OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTRE
OR AND INDEED OF MEMBERS
THIS COUNCIL,
HUMAN IN WISHING TO 38E PROPER, EFFECTIVE AND DURABLE RIGHTS SAFEGUARDS IN PLACE IN HONG KONG BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER 1997. IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS BERN DEVELOPING ITS OWN POLICY PROPOSALS ON HUMAN RIGHTS MATTERS OVER RECENT MONTHS. THE DEBATE IS ABOUT MEANS NOT ENDS, ABOUT HOW BEST TO SECURE THE SAFEGUARDS THAT WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO SEE. SOME HAVE ARGUED THAT A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION HAS TO BE THE CENTREPIECE OF ANY EFFECTIVE HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY FOR HONG KONG. OTHERS CONTEND THAT A NON- INSTITUTIONAL PATH 13 MORE LIKELY TO BRING REAL AND SUSTAINABLE BENRFITS OVER THE LONGER TERM. THERE ARE MERITS IN BOTH ARGUMENTS; AND THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED CAREFULLY BOTH BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN FORMULATING ITS RESPONSE ΤΟ THE FAC REPORT, AND BY OUR ADMINISTRATION IN THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF ITS PROPOSALS ON HUMAN RIGHTS MATTERS. THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE ISSUES SHOULD INDEED BR CONSIDERED, BY ALL CONCERNED, ON THEIR MERITS. IN PARTICULAR, WE SHOULD AVOID GETTING DRAWN INTO AN ARGUMENT ABOUT SYMBOLS. THE COMMUNITY AS
A WHOLE IS NOT PARTICULARLY INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT 4 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS SELF-EVIDENTLY GOOD OR SELF-EVIDENTLY BAD. WHAT IT WANTS, UNDERSTANDABLY, IS THE REASSURANCE THAT
ANY GENUINE CONCERNS IT HAS ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS WILL BE ADDRESSED IN AN EFFECTIVE AND PRACTICAL WAY, BOTH NOW AND AFTER 1997.
PERHAPS I COULD MOVE ON TO MY SECOND TOPIC, LAND SUPPLY AND PROPERTY PRICES.
YESTERDAY, THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS ANNOUNCED A PACKAGE OF MEASURES TO MEET HOUSING DEMAND AND SAFEGUARD THR INTERESTS OF HOME BUYERS. IT 18 A COMPREHENSIVE, BALANCED, POSITIVE AND DELIBERATELY PRUDENT PACKAGE, DEALING WITH BOTH THE SHORT AND LONG TERM.
AND
IN THE SHORT TERM, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO DAMPEN SPECULATION, STRENGTHEN CONSUMER PROTECTION AND INFORMATION. AS A FIRST STEP. WE SHALL TACKLE THF PROBLEM OF THE PRE-SALE OF FLATS THROUGH MODIFICATIONS TO THE CONSENT SCHEME. REDUCTION OF THE QUOTA FOR PRIVATE SALES COULD RELEASE ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL 10,000 FLATS A YEAR FOR DIRECT PURCHASE BY HOME BUYERS. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER AND SHOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE MARKET. DEVELOPERS HAVE INDICATED THEIR INTENTION TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS EFFORTS TO MODERATE PROPERTY PRICES AND DAMPEN SPECULATION. THEY CAN DO THIS INTRODUCING THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PRE-SALE OF UNCOMPLETED FLATS TO DEVELOPMENTS WHICH ARE NOT CURRENTLY COVERED BY THE CONSENT SCHEME, OR WHERE CONSENT HAS BEEN GIVEN BUT THE FLATS HAVE NOT YET BEEN OFFERED FOR SALE,
IN
BY
TERMS OF CONSUMER PROTECTION, WE SHALL AIM TO PROVIDE НОМЕ BUYERS WITH MORE ACCURATE AND COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION, NOT ONLY ON FLATS WHICH ARE OFERRED FOR SALE, BUT ALSO ON FUTURE SUPPLY AND LOCATION. THIS WILL HELP THEM TO PLAN TO DECIDE WHEN AND WHAT TO BUY. BRTTER INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL HOME BUYERS WILL REMOVE SOME OF THE SPECULATORS ' ADVANTAGE, AND HELP COUNTER MISREPRESENTATION UNSCRUPULOUS PRACTICES IN THE MARKET.
OR
/IN THE