XN000022-1973-10-17 — Page 28

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Wednesday, October 17, 1973

NEW STATUS FOR N.T. DISTRICT COMMISSIONER

*

The position and status of the District Commissioner of the New

Territories is to be adjusted to ensure that the special requirements of the

rural areas "receive the consideration they deserve,"

Disclosing this in the Legislative Council today, the Governor,

Sir Murray MacLehose, said an announcement would be made before the next

District Commissioner takes over from Mr. D.C. Bray.

Sir Murray said he was conscious of the Council's concern, which was

reflected in the views of the Heung Yee Kuk, "that the government should be more

even handed as between the urban areas and the New Territories in the programmes

it undertakes.'

"

The large social programmes

——

housing, education, medical services

and social welfare he said, would benefit the New Territories as much as,

if not more than the old urban areas and would contribute substantially to the

standard of life and amenities in the New Territories.

On present assessment, additional decent housing for some 250,000 was

Planning of the necessary rural estates had

required in the New Territories.

already begun and, as an interim step, attention was being given to improving

conditions in the rural areas wherever possible, the Governor said.

He cited as examples the two new housing estates opened this year at

Cheung Chau and Sai Kung which were financed mainly by charitable donations from

the U.S.A. and Canada; the now small-house policy introduced at the end of

last year; the planned provision of over one thousand items of small public

works over the next three years; and the doubling of cleansing and sanitation

staff over the last three years,

/However,