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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
the reasons for the HA not issuing another type of tenancy cards to the shop tenants to clarify the floor area and the grading of the shops when the HA took over the public housing estates from the former RD;
whether the HD keeps copies of the business licences or related documents obtained by the shop tenants, so that the floor area of the shop premises can be obtained from such documents;
the reasons for the HD and the Urban Council having different criteria for determining the size of the same shop premises, and which of the sizes determined should be regarded as accurate if a discrepancy occurs;
the justification for not charging rents in respect of the frontal section of the shop premises in the past, and whether rates have been charged in respect of the frontal section of these shop premises; and
the number of appeal cases lodged by Grade B shop tenants who were dissatisfied with the method of calculation of the ex-gratia payment since the implementation of the Comprehensive Redevelopment Programme in 1988, and the outcome of such appeals?
Answer:
Mr President,
After the merger of the former Resettlement Department (RD) with the Housing Authority in 1973, there was a proposal to replace the tenancy cards used by the RD by a new form of tenancy agreement. The proposal was dropped owing to strong protests from tenants to maintain the status quo.
2.
3.
It has been the practice of the Housing Department in calculating the area of shops in Group B estates not to include the frontal section. As a result, rent is charged only on the lettable area of the shop, and ex-gratia allowance is also calculated on the same basis.
Government Departments and independent organisations are responsible for drawing up their own operational guidelines, and for implementing them through appropriate statutory and administrative arrangements. Thus separate rules, regulations and statutory requirements may be adopted. It is therefore not meaningful to say that a particular method of determining the size of shop premises is more "accurate" than another method.