XN000022-1973-04-25 — Page 4

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Wednesday, April 25, 1973

Mr. Woo said then that many of relevant factors had not been placed

before the Privy Council and that their ruling was related to the circumstances

of the particular case on which they gave their judgment,

He said that his arguments put forward at that time had since remained

unanswered.

Mr. Woo suggested that the arguments, or all the relevant argumentation

for and against the present policy, should be referred to that body for further

advice.

"This is far too vital a matter to be allowed to stand upon the ruling

given in an isolated case," he added.

Lessees

Speaking on the same Bill, the Hon. Wilfred Wong concentrated on the

plight and hardship which the lessees of domestic premises would face upon the

expiration of the leases.

He said that many lease holders, estimated to be about 70,000 in

Kowloon, bought their property in recent years and in fact they paid a heavy

premium on the leases unwittingly as the leases were already close to their

expiry date.

He said: "This is partly due to the fact that the clerks in solicitors' office have been telling them that Crown rents are nominal and partly due to the

fact that they have no idea that Crown rents could be increased between three

hundred and a few thousand times,"

Surely, he said, a fair and reasonable formula could be found and

he thought that the rent should be assessed on an average of the last ten years

or the 1969 market whichever was lower.

Mr. Wong pointed