XN000022-1973-11-28 — Page 10

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Wednesday, November 28, 1973

CONTRACT CUTS SPEED UP PUBLIC HOUSING

Work was progressing today on 13 public housing contracts which

will provide homes for 153,000 people and plans are well in hand to let

more than 40 other contracts within the next two years to build housing

for another 500,000, the Hon. Ian Lightbody, Secretary for Housing, said

today.

He told the Legislative Council that earlier completion dates

had been negotiated for some contracts due to be finished in 18 months

or 80.

"In this way. he went on,

"the completion date for a number of

blocks at Lei Muk Shu Estate has been advanced by six months, that is

the contract time has been reduced from 30 to 24 months. At Hing Wah

Estate, the building period has been cut by eight months and at Oi Man

Estate by up to six months. This will cost money of course, but extra

outlay should be largely recouped by earlier rental incomes."

Mr. Lightbody said that the Housing Authority had considered

selling, ratlier than renting some domestic units, but it was decided that

this was not the time to introduce the scheme and it had been shelved.

The Authority, said Mr. Lightbody, was conscious of the need to

concentrate on baking a bigger cake to achieve its housing target rather

than to argue about the division of the present small cake. This called

for a substantial reinforcement of the Housing Department and for the

/creation of

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