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· 16
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Clause 9(2) stipulates that these sub-leases should be deemed to be granted upon the commencement of the Bill new sub-leases by the Wong Wai Tsak Tong for the residue of their terms.
I further propose that upon the expiry of the current term of these sub-leases, the sub-lessees would be deemed as the Crown lessees. I would therefore move an amendment to clause 5 later. There would also be a number of other consequential amendments.
Mr Chairman, I beg to move.
End/Friday, July 28, 1995
Wong Wai Tsak Tong Bill
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, at the resumption of the second reading of the Wong Wai Tsak Tong (Renewal and Extension of Sub-leases) Bill in the Legislative Council today (Friday):
Madam President,
Although our views may differ, I would still like to take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Lee Wing-tat, and Members of the Bills Committee on the Wong Wai Tsak Tong (Renewal and Extension of Sub-leases) Bill for their detailed deliberations on the Bill over the past few weeks.
I would like to take this opportunity to clarify once again the stand of the Administration in the matter. In the course of dealing with the land problems on Cheung Chau over the past years, the Administration has identified three main issues which are the basis of disputes between the Wong Wai Tsak Tong and its sub-lessees. These are the renewal and extension of sub-leases, payment of Government rent, and charging of fees for modifications and exchanges. The Wong Wai Tsak Tong (Renewal and Extension of Sub-leases) Bill is therefore tailored to resolve these disputes and regulate the relationship between the Tong and the sub-lessees, in the most impartial manner, without taking side with any party. We are dealing with a problem left over from history and as records are imcomplete we would want to do it in as fair a manner as possible. However, in our quest to be fair, we may not please anybody in particular and hence, this may be the reason why some Members said that the Administration's Bill is not supported by the parties concerned.