XN000022-1973-11-28 — Page 14

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Wednesday, November 28, 1973

To accelerate the process of good management and to provide

more soope for the self-help instincts of tenants in private multi-storey

buildings, the Home Affairs Department and the New Territories Administration

have fostered the growth of Mutual Aid Committees since June this year,

said Mr. Lightbody. "These are a simple form of organisation of owners

and occupiers and they can be set up with the minimum of formalities.

In the short space of five months, about 1,000 such Comittens have been

set up and 195 are in various stages of formation. #

Mr. Lightbody said there would inevitably be buildings where

the necessary self-help instinct, and desire to improve matters would

be lasking, and it might well be necessary for the government to enact

legislation compelling owners to set up management committees or to

appoint an administrator to look after sub-standard buildings.

"This proposition is being studied with a view to formulating

practical proposals for the compulsory management of multi-storeyed

buildings, where such compulsion proves to be necessary," he said.

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